Shades of Gray
by Betrayed Wolf
Summary: Chihiro returns to the Spirit World seeking help but when she gets there Haku turns her away. Broken hearted, Chihiro makes her way to Zeniba's to find solace. However, an old friend shows up to give Chihiro a hand and they return to the bathhouse where
1. Prologue: Promises Between Sisters

Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.

Prologue:  Promises Between Sisters 

"Chihiro!  What are you doing?"  Called Serena, one of Chihiro's closest friends.  Serena was a very beautiful and exotic looking girl.  Her hair was a long mass of silvery blonde curls and her eyes were a bright startling green color flecked with gold.  Unlike Chihiro's other friends, Serena was a foreigner but that didn't stop her from making friends.

            "Planet earth to Chihiro.  The mother planet is requesting if you are home or off in space, come in please."  Serena teased.

            "I was just thinking about stuff."  Chihiro answered and Serena rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

            "Thinking about what?"  She asked.

            "About how people change as they grow older."  Chihiro answered.

            Serena narrowed her eyes a bit and tilted her head slightly to the side as she considered Chihiro's words.  Change…  Yes, they all changed it seemed.  When Serena had first met Chihiro she'd been a skinny little girl with dark drown hair that was constantly in a ponytail.  The skinny little girl was gone now though, replaced by a slender young woman with long dark brown eyes and, in Serena's opinion, deep dark brown eyes that held a hint of mystery about them.

            In reality, both girls were each extraordinarily beautiful in their own way.  Chihiro's, despite her dark coloring, was the true sunshine beauty of the two.  She was always sweet and kind to people, her years in the spirit world had taught her to have a better outlook on life, and was good in school and sports.  But she was known to have a smart mouth from time to time, usually when some guy tried to push her into dating him constantly.  Serena, even though her coloring was fair, was the night creature.  Her seemingly delicate frame and beauty hid an unusual strength that came from years of dance and martial arts.  More sassy natured than Chihiro, Serena was often in trouble for pulling pranks or for doing dangerous stunts that nearly scared her family to death.  Yet she was a loyal friend to Chihiro and possessed a genuinely caring nature.

            "I think people always change, no matter how old they are."  Serena said thoughtfully and then shook her head.  "No.  That's not true.  People change if they want to grow and expand.  The people who don't grow stagnant."

            "That's exactly what I was thinking!"  Chihiro exclaimed excitedly.

            Serena grinned at her and shrugged.  "What can I say?  Great minds think alike."

            Chihiro smiled back at her.  Serena often said things like that.  Despite the fact that she was sixteen and hid her real intelligence, Serena was a genius.  Not in as really smart but a real, certified genius, even though you wouldn't guess since she acted like a kid.  Chihiro looked at her friend thoughtfully and wondered what she was thinking about.  Serena reminded her of Haku sometimes.  Both seemed to be so much older than what they really were.

            Haku… In six years he'd never come for her; never showed any sign that he cared for her at all.  "Thinking about him again?"  Serena asked; Chihiro had told her everything a little over four years ago.

            "Why hasn't he ever tried to see me?"  Chihiro whispered.

            "Maybe he's waiting for you to grow up so that he can use his dark sensual magic on you."  Serena teased but her smile faded away when she saw the sad look on Chihiro's face.  "I don't know.  Maybe he's gathering his strength.  Didn't you say that his river had been filled in?"  

            "Yes," Chihiro replied.  "It's just been so long."

            Serena gave her a hug and sat down on the ground.  She'd come over to Chihiro's to tell her something very important and she hoped that her friend wouldn't be as upset as she'd been.  "Chihiro, I need to tell you something."  She said softly.  "I'm moving."

            "What?!  Why?"  Chihiro gasped in shock.

            Serena scowled fiercely and tossed her hair back, her eyes almost seeming to glow in rage before she closed them.  "It's supposed to be for my own good.  My father wants us to go back to France to 'complete my training' as he calls it."

            "But you'll come back?"  Chihiro asked.

            Serena opened her eyes then and looked over at her best friend, the sadness she felt apparent in her green gaze.  "I don't know if we will or not."

            Chihiro nodded and sniffled a bit to keep from crying.  Serena seeing this felt her anger at her father rise up again.  What did she need to train for?  It wasn't like they were a family of spies or anything!  Still… there was no way she could leave Chihiro like this.  So decided she pulled off the necklace she always wore and stared at it for a moment.  The pendant on the necklace was made of gold, silver, and platinum.  Basically, it depicted a silver crescent moon inside a gold circle, inside a platinum sun.  Her family symbol, a symbol that would have her bound to it for forever and to those who wore it.  "Here."  She said and slipped it around Chihiro's neck.  "Now, no matter where you are or where I am, I'll always be able to come to you if you need me."  She swore.

            Chihiro looked down at the necklace that Serena had placed around her neck and shook her head.  "I can't accept this!"  She protested and started to take it off but Serena stopped her gently.

            "It is an insult to refuse."  She said softly, gently reproving her.

            Chihiro sighed and frowned at her.  "You and all your foreign customs!"  She complained a second before she hugged Serena.  "I'll miss you, night sister."

            "And I you, day sister."  Serena answered and hugged her back.  Blood wasn't needed to make people family, these two had been sisters from the moment they met.  The last words that Serena said to Chihiro before she left was "don't be afraid to go back.  Follow your heart.  Always…"


	2. Chapter1: Goodbye’s the Saddest Word

Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.**

Chapter 1:  Goodbye's the Saddest Word 

The terrifying sound of metal ripping into flesh and bone is one of the worst things that you would ever want to hear.  Another is the sound of screeching tires and shattering glass and the terrified screams of those you love.  But the worst thing of all is to see all of this and know that it's not just some horrible nightmare that you can make up from.

Somehow, Chihiro was thrown out of the car just as it smashed and then wrapped itself around a tree.  It was a sight that most grown men would have blanched at, it was a sight that sent a nineteen-year-old Chihiro into shock.  _Haku…  I need you._  She thought desperately and unknowingly began to walk towards the gateway to the Spirit World.  Her mind not yet ready to accept the fact that her parents were really and truly dead.  Somehow, in her dazed state of mind, she made it to the gateway and actually passed through.

"I'm here."  She said and passed out into sweet oblivion.

"What are you doing here, Sen?"  Demanded a cold voice that was oddly familiar.  

_My name is Chihiro.  Not Sen._ Chihiro thought groggily as she opened her eyes and saw an angry Haku glaring coldly down at her.  He was taller now, and older.  Most likely the same age as her or a bit older but he'd kept his hair cut the same and his eyes were still the same dark forest green they'd always been yet… they were colder now.

"Haku?"  She asked, a bit off balance.

"It's Master Haku."  He corrected her.  "Why are you here?"

"I…"

"You have to go back."  He said and grabbed her arm and started to pull her forcefully along.

"Haku!  You're hurting me!"  She cried.

"Good.  Maybe that will knock some sense into your thick skull."  She replied harshly, shocking them both.  He stopped then and started to turn to apologize when a sound caught both of their attention.  

"Haku!  Haku!"  Cried a young woman as she sprinted towards them her long beautiful black hair billowing behind her.  "Haku, what are you doing with a smelly human?"  She asked curiously, her burgundy eyes searching his.

"Nothing Sakura.  Just getting rid of the filth."  He answered reassuringly.

Chihiro stared at him in shock for a long moment and then wrenched her arm out of his grasp.  Startled, Haku's gaze jerked to her but when he took a step towards her she stumbled back.  "You're not Haku.  You're a monster!"  She cried and ran, unconsciously grasping the pendent that Serena had given her so long ago and wished that she was safe at Zeniba's instead of here with Haku.  Almost as soon as she finished forming the thought a warm golden mist surrounded her body and Chihiro disappeared.  Leaving a very surprised Haku and Sakura behind.

"Wake up, dear.  Oh, Chihiro!  Please wake up."  Zeniba said worriedly to the unconscious girl who was asleep on a spare futon.  Behind her, Kaorashi made his soft uh's and added his two cents in.  "Come on dear, wake up."  Zeniba said and gently shook Chihiro.  This time the girl responded and blinked her eyes sleepily at them.  

"Wha what happened?"  She asked.

"We were hoping that you could tell us dear."  Zeniba answered.

Chihiro nodded and started from the beginning, telling them everything from the wreck to Haku's hurtful words.

"I'm sorry child."  Zeniba said sympathetically and gently took the pendent in her hand.  "You say that you grabbed this?  Who gave this necklace to you?"  She asked.

"A friend of mine gave it to me about three years ago."  She answered and held it in her hand again.  "I wish that Serena was here now.  I need her."  She whispered.  Feeling a strange heat in her hand she looked down at the pendant and was stunned to see it glowing just as a warm gold colored light filled the room.

"No matter where you are, or where I am, if you need me I'll be there.  I promise."  Said a voice out of the light just before it disappeared.  An older version of the girl that Chihiro knew stood there grinning at her.  "What's up, sis?"  She asked in the next moment.

"Serena!"  Chihiro exclaimed and threw her arms around the girl.

"Hey, what is it, _mon amie_?"  Serena asked worriedly as she looked around and finally noticed the other occupants in the room.  "Wow.  A lady with a whole bunch of hair and a man in a cloak and a mask."  She murmured in surprise.  

"They're my friends; Zeniba and Kaorashi."  Chihiro explained.

"Zeniba…that means money crone and Kaorashi…doesn't that mean no face?"  She asked curiously.

"Very good, for a human anyway."  Zeniba told her.

"_Merci_, _madame_."  Serena replied and looked back down at Chihiro.  "What's wrong, sis?  Why do you need me for?"  She asked again.

Slowly, with help from Zeniba, Chihiro retold her story to Serena.  When she was finished Serena looked very angry and her bright green eyes almost seemed to radiate energy and annoyance.  "What a jerk!"  She growled.  "You should have punched out a few of his teeth and hers to just for the hell of it!"  She added.

"A human hit Haku!"  Zeniba laughed and shook her head at the fair human girl with the strange accent.  "You have a lot of courage little one but Haku is a river spirit."

"So?  Does that give him the right to do as he pleases?"  She demanded.

Zeniba looked at the girl thoughtfully and for the first time noticed the stirrings of magic around the girl.  "Tell me child, how is it that a mere human was able to bind herself to another so strongly that she was able to travel to Spirit World."

"Yeah, Serena.  I don't understand how you could be here."  Chihiro told her.

Serena looked down at her hand sheepishly and the smiled uneasily at them.  "Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't have a clue?"

"No."

"No."

"Uh."

She sighed and said, "alright alright!  I get the point."  She stretched a bit then a got ready to explain.  "Chihiro, do you remember all the training that my father made me do while I was younger?"

"Of course."

"Well as it turns out my family have been 'Guardians' for centuries.  Basically, a Guardian is a person with magic whose main purpose in life is to protect and help others.  So since I promised to help you should you ever need me I was able to answer the pendant's call."

"So the pendant holds the actual power?"  Zeniba asked.

"Yes and no.  The pendant's powers are an extension of my own but it will give Chihiro certain powers.  I think…" She frowned and shook her head.  "But this is all besides the point.  We have to go back to the Aburaya, Chihiro.  We have to show Haku that you're strong enough to be without him but he's not nearly as strong as he thinks!"

"Serena!  We can't!"  Chihiro scolded.  "Besides, Yu-Baaba would have to give us a job then."

"Oh I can get us a job."  Serena told her with a mischievous grin.  "Never fear of that.  The only question is, do you think that you can go back and face them all?"

Chihiro was silent for a long moment as she thought over what Serena had said.  She knew that Haku was very strong but Serena actually believed she could handle him.  _Serena's always believed in me.  It's my turn to believe in what she says._  Chihiro decided.  "Yes.  I can face them."  She said aloud.

"Great!  I'm going to need a few of my friends from back home and a few other things but that'll be easy to handle.  Now, here's what we're going to do…"

One year later… 

Yu-Baaba was giving orders to Haku when she stopped suddenly; an icy chill tingled its way down her spine.  "Someone's coming."  She said and turned to look out the window.

"What is it?"  Haku asked.

"I don't know.  It's different, whatever it is…" She murmured.

"I want a job, Madame Yu-Baaba."  Called a soft feminine voice from the shadows.

"Who's there!?"  Yu-Baaba demanded as she whirled around.  Haku was already scanning the room with his eyes and was startled when a small, cloaked woman stepped into the light and faced them.  

"I want you to give me a job which I am qualified for."  She said

Yu-Baaba sneered and glared at her.  "A human!  What is a human qualified for when it can't even show its face!"  She taunted.

"Many things."  Answered the human and yanked off her cloak.  The strange silvery blonde curls instantly caught their attention but it was the bright green eyes that watched them both that held it.  "My name is Serena LaCroix.  I want you to give me a job here as an entertainer."

"Oh really?"  Yu-Baaba asked.  "And why should I do that?"

"Because I, am one damn good dancer and I know that I can pull in more customers.  I'm also a pretty good singer as are the others in my dance troop."

"You are awfully bold for a human."  Haku told her.

"Oh?  Why should my being human matter about that?"  She asked haughtily.  "Should I cower before you when I am your equal in every way?"

"My equal?!"  Haku barely managed to say as he tried not to gape at the girl.

"Indeed.  Unless of course, you think you're better than I but… if you think that then I demand to be shown what makes you so much better."  She replied and then she looked at him with a sneer as she added, "oath breaker."

Yu-Baaba, who'd been quiet all this time, now began to laugh.  "Fine, I'll give you and your dance troop each a contract as the Aburaya's new form of entertainment; but only because you've entertained me by arguing with Haku."

"No.  You offer me the contract as the manager.  The rest of my troop already have contracts with me so you will deal with me and only with me."

Yu-Baaba studied the young woman shrewdly and chuckled.  "You're smart for such a young brat."

"_Merci_.  May I have my contract now?"  She asked.

"Of course."  Zeniba answered and a paper and pen floated to Serena.  "Just sign here."  After Serena signed the contractor Yu-Baaba called it back to her and started to pull Serena's name from the paper but it remained written in the black ink.

"I signed a contract allowing you my services for a time, not a dealing to control me."  Serena told her.

"Fine!"  Zeniba snapped.  "What do you need?"

"Just a fairly large room that guests won't mind sitting in once we've got it fixed up."

"Agreed, but you'll have to clean it yourselves."

"No problem."

"Haku, show her the unused hall."  Zeniba said, dismissing them both.

After they were on the elevator Serena looked Haku over and snorted.  He was handsome she'd give him that.  He was tall, taller than her or Chihiro and seemed to be well muscled with dark green eyes that were looking at her intently.  Unfortunately, she just plain didn't like him or his attitude that he had towards Chihiro.

"Why did you call me an oath breaker?"  He asked.

"Have you ever broken a promise?"

"No."

"You're lying."  She answered and narrowed her eyes at him.  "I really detest people who lie."

"And I really detest humans."

"Wonderful.  Then we should get along well don't you think oath breaker?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?!"  He demanded.

"Figure it out."  She taunted and stepped out of the elevator just as the doors opened.  "Lead the way."  She instructed, waving her hand haughtily.

"What a mess."  Chihiro said as she and the other humans that Serena had brought to Spirit World entered the room that Yu-Baaba had given to them to use.

"Yep but don't worry, pretty girl, we shall make it shine!"  Cried Diego, a handsome man from Spain that loved to flirt with all the ladies.  Diego had dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin, and a quick smile that always made her feel better.

Chaz, an American had dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, a killer body and a playful sense of humor.  His twin sister, Kitty, shared his coloring but she was a very beautiful girl and more serious than her happy go lucky brother.

And last but not least was Ace.  He was also an American but he had midnight black hair and steely gray eyes that always seemed to be laughing at some private joke.  He was tall and very good-looking with a well-toned body that any dancer would kill to have.

"Alright babies, let's get to work!"  Serena said as she came in behind them and set the stereo down and popped a CD in after turning it on.

"Right!"  Chihiro agreed and they all grabbed brooms and set to work, after Serena tossed them their headset mikes anyway.  None of the music CD's they owned had vocals, that was their job along with dancing.

_I'm just a simple girl in a high tech, digital world._

_Trying to understand all the guys who rule this land._

_His name is Jay's be butter boss; Kate Moss can't find a job._

_In a world of modern fad; what is good, now is bad._

It's not hard to understand just follow this simple plan… 

_Follow your heart!_

_Your intuition._

_It will lead you in the right direction_

_And though you're mine…_

_Your intuition._

_Is easy to find!_

_Just follow your heart baby!_

Although they didn't know it, they were being watched by members of the Aburaya; and most especially by the spirit, Sakura.  The only people who weren't there was Bou and Yu-Baaba.  Haku was there as well, but he was out of sight of everyone for now.

_You look at me but you're not quite sure…_

_Am I it or could you get more?_

_You look cool for magazines; you're in love with Charlie Sheen_

_If you want me, let me know it.  I promise I won't say no!_

_Follow your heart!_

_Your intuition._

_It will lead you in the right direction_

_And though you're mine…_

_Your intuition._

_Is easy to find!_

_Just follow your heart baby!_

_You got sumthin that you're wantin to sell?_

_Sell your skin; just cash in._

_You got sumthin that you wantin to tell?_

_You'll love me, wait and see._

_If you want me…_

_Don't play games._

_I promise, it won't be in vain._

By this time they'd finished sweeping and had tied scrub brushes onto their shoes and after dumping buckets of soapy water onto the floor they began to dance around the whole room.  Amazingly, they never fell and the room was quickly being cleaned.  Then the guys grabbed hold of the girls and lifted them into the air so that hey could use the brushes on their feet to scrub the walls.  Over and over this unusual cleaning dance was done.  The whole time the girls sang and kept up the rhythm with easy smiles.

_Follow your heart!_

_Your intuition._

_It will lead you in the right direction._

_And though you're mine…_

_Your intuition._

_Is easy to find!_

_Just follow your heart baby!_

_Just follow your heart._

_Your intuition._

_It will lead you in the right direction._

_And though you're mine._

_Your intuition._

_Leaves you easy to find, just follow your heart baby!_

_Follow your heart!_

_Your intuition._

_It will lead you in the right direction._

_And though you're mine…_

_Your intuition._

_Is easy to find!_

_Just follow your heart baby!_

_Follow your heart!_

_Your intuition._

_It will lead you in the right direction._

_And though you're mine…_

_Your intuition._

_Is easy to find!_

_Just follow your heart baby!_

_Follow your heart!_

_Your intuition._

_It will lead you in the right direction._

And so they continued to get the room ready for the night's performance.  Never ceasing to stop in their cleaning.  Soon after, the members of the Aburaya left to seek their beds.  Well all save two.  Haku and Rin both stayed but only because one of the girls reminded them so much of Sen, but Sen was gone.  Wasn't she?

**If I promised you forever, would you stay?**

**Forever doesn't mean ever.**

**Eternity then?**

**Only if eternity means always.**


	3. Chapter 2: In the Burning Heart

Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.**

Chapter 2:  In the Burning Heart 

It took a long time to prepare the room but as Chihiro glanced around she couldn't have been prouder.  The golden wood of the floors shone and the walls had been painted black.  However, they had designed several large backgrounds that covered every wall from top to bottom and were fixed to the wall so should they decide to change the theme all they had to do was roll the background down.  Using talent, skill, and a little bit of magic they managed to create a trio of midair catwalks that ended in their each individual circle and were connected to one another.  The catwalks were made of dark blue glass, but thanks to Serena's magic, they wouldn't ever break.  To create a bit of allusion they'd installed magic lights on the very edge of the catwalks, they also would be able to tell where the glass ended and air began that way.

Kitty and Serena had given Chihiro a bit of a new look as well.  Her dark drown hair was now streaked with thick highlights that complimented her beauty wonderfully.  She wore light eye make-up, lipstick, and a tad bit of a blush.  Her wardrobe had also been changed.  She was now wearing a pair of white, hip hugger jeans and a single strap, sparkly blue shirt.  It was hard to believe that she'd been so broken only a year ago.  She still loved Haku, she honestly didn't think she'd ever stop loving him, but she no longer _needed_ him like she had.  Chihiro, thanks to the support of all of her friends, had learned to stand on her own.

"You look very nice today."  Serena said as she entered the room.

Chihiro turned around and grinned at her friend.  Serena was wearing a pair of black low riding hip huggers and a shiny green halter top that left her tummy completely bare yet like Chihiro, she was barefoot.  "You look like you're ready to go to a club."  Chihiro teased.

"Hmmm… Not a bad idea actually.  Know of any good clubs?"  Serena asked jokingly as her gaze roved around the room.  "We did a _merveilleux_ job."

"A what?"  Chihiro asked, unfamiliar with the French word Serena had used.

"_Marveilleux_?  It means wonderful."

Chihiro smiled and shook her head.  "You're accent is so pretty."  She told Serena.

"Accent?  You, Ace, and the others are the ones with accents."  Serena snorted.

"Suuure."

Serena glared at her for a moment but then she just grinned and shrugged.  "Come on, it's daytime and most of the people here are napping."  She said and slipped her arm through Chihiro's and led her out of the room.

"And where are two lovely ladies such as yourselves going?"  Chaz asked as he came upon them.

"We're looking for some hot guys.  Know where we can anyway?"  Chihiro teased.

"Right in front of you babe."  Chaz answered and offered them his arms.  Once situated, they all strolled out into the sunshine together.

Customers at the Aburaya were eager to see the new form of entertainment that Yu-Baaba had arranged for them to have.  For two weeks now the rumors that she's hired a group of humans as dancers at her bathhouse and most were eager to see the show.  As people moved into the room they saw a large stage at the back of the room and rising from the stage was a glass catwalk that'd been built high enough to reach the midpoint to the ceiling.  The balcony that surrounded all of the rooms in the Aburaya was just barely above the catwalks.  The walls looked like a star-studded sky and the stars even seemed to glow by some type of magic.

"What do you think Haku?"  Asked Sakura.  "Do you think that these inferior humans will be able to pull this off?

_"Oh?  Why should my being human matter about that?"  She asked haughtily.  "Should I cower before you when I am your equal in every way?"  "My equal?!"  Haku barely managed to say as he tried not to gape at the girl.  "Indeed.  Unless of course, you think you're better than I but… if you think that then I demand to be shown what makes you so much better."_  He remembered the girl from before saying.

"Perhaps."  He replied.

"Well even if they don't it should be interesting to see what happens."

As if someone had been listening to her, the lights, save for the catwalk ones, then cut off completely.  A few moments later a single spotlight lit up the center glass circle and they could all see a beautiful young woman there dressed in shiny black pants and a shimmery red belly shirt on.  Her hair was half braided and was woven with red ribbons.  "Ladies and gentlemen, Spirits of the Spirit World may I have your attention please!  My name is Chihiro Ogino, I'm also known to most of you as Sen. Tonight, my friends and I are going to perform a show that will keep you on the edge to the very end.  Thank you for your time and please enjoy the show!"  She finished and the lights went dark again.

"Chihiro."  Haku whispered softly.

            Suddenly the stage was lit up with three spotlights and you could see three women standing there, each perfectly posed and dressed very similar.  One had dirty blonde hair that was twisted up into an elegant clip and her shirt, while the same shimmery red as Chihiro's, was a tube top.  The other woman, Serena, wore the same shimmery red as the other two but had on a halter belly shirt like the one she'd had on earlier.  Three more spotlights came on and three men dressed in black, fitting pants and black muscle shirts stood calm and ready.  Then came the sound of music and the beat of drums…

            _Two worlds collide_

_            Revelations_

_            It's a primitive past_

_            Ending years of frustration_

            As soon as the man with black hair and gray eyes began to sing the other two moved away from him and headed towards the girls who were now dancing.  Slowly they circled one another, a wordless challenge in their eyes for the partner that had sought them out and Serena moved towards the man who was singing.  Chihiro and the other girl rubbed up against their dance partners very briefly and then spun away, yet when the guys started to follow they merely sneered at them and leapt up to the catwalks.

            _Raising, we hope against all hope._

_            There is so much at stake,_

_            Seems our freedoms up against the ropes!_

_            Does the crowd understand?_

_            This is East verses West._

_            A man against man._

_            Can any nation stand alone?!_

            Quite easily, the men leapt up after then and yanked the girls into their embrace and began to dance with them; however, it was anything but a waltz.  It was clear that each movement, each touch, each smoldering glance was meant to challenge the other.  Serena and the man dancing seemed to be their key focus point though.  They way they moved together to the music showed the same challenge that the others did yet their movements portrayed a bittersweet sense.  Almost as if they knew they were to be rivals but each were unwilling to back down.

            _In the burning heart!_

_Just about to burst._

_There's a quest for answers,_

_An unquenchable thirst!_

_In the darkest night,_

_Rising like a spider!_

_In the burning heart,_

_The unmistakable fire…!_

_In the burning heart…_

All around the stage and catwalks flames shot up and the dancers instantly split up from one another and danced as one.  The man who'd been singing and dancing stopped dancing with the others and was now walking among his fellow dancers, his words seemingly directed at them.  As if he were telling them about the heart of a fighter, and the pain that all mortals had to face, and of the sweet victory that would follow.

            _In the warrior's code, there's no surrender._

_            Though his body says stop,_

_            His spirit cries, "Never!!"_

_            Deep in our soul, a quiet ember._

_            Knows it's you against you!_

_            It's the paradox that drives us on!_

_            It's a battle of wills!_

_            In the heat of attack,_

_            It's the passion that kills!_

_            The victory is yours!_

_            Alone…!_

            And then they began to come back together.  Dancing in amongst the flames they defied all the rules that should have bound them as humans.  The fire also seemed to welcome the humans into its embrace as the flames twisted sensuously around them even as they came together.  And then, in a blink of an eye, they were all down on the stage and they were all partnered to a fellow dancer.  The challenge, while still there in their eyes, seemed to be directed at the audience rather than at one another.  They were standing together, united as one.

            _In the burning heart!_

_Just about to burst._

_There's a quest for answers,_

_An unquenchable thirst!_

_In the darkest night,_

_Rising like a spider!_

_In the burning heart,_

_The unmistakable fire…!_

_In the burning heart!_

_Just about to burst._

_There's a quest for answers,_

_An unquenchable thirst!_

_In the darkest night,_

_Rising like a spider!_

_In the burning heart,_

_The unmistakable fire…!_

_In the burning heart!_

As the music faded so did the lights and the room was once again bathed in darkness.  A moment later, all of the flames died and then the bright lights came back on and illuminated all of the humans standing on the stage.  A happy cheer rose up from the spirits and the human dancers grinned and bowed elegantly before them all.  Then the man who'd been singing stepped forward and raised his hand for a moment of silence.

"Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen!  My name is Ace and if you'll give me a moment I'll present the rest of my friends and companions to you all!"  So saying he pulled the girl with dirty blonde hair and blues eyes up and announced, "This lovely young woman is Kitty, the serious one in the bunch.  The guy who looks a bit like her is her twin Chaz, and is the hyper one of our group."  Chaz and Kitty both frowned at him, a gesture that he merely grinned at and turned his attention to Chihiro.  

"I believe everyone remembers this beautiful lady from before so I'll move on to the ugly one of our bunch, Diego.  He talks a bit funny but we like him anyway."  

The dark haired Spaniard grinned and bowed to the audience and said quite clearly, "The same could be said of you, Ace."

Ace grinned and shrugged his shoulders and began his last announcement.  "And last but not least is the lovely Serena.  The spitfire of the group but if she gets mad she starts talking in a language known of us know so it doesn't matter."  Serena rolled her eyes and acted like she was going to hit him and grinned when he motioned for her to 'bring it on.'  "Now then, if you people will relax we'll do a dance not quite so…" He grinned slyly as he said the next word, letting the audience catch the double meaning of the word.  "Hot…"

For the next two hours the human dancers weld the customers of the Aburaya, and the workers, spellbound.  They danced and sand in a perfect rhythm with the music that was played.  Their sensual bodies twisting, turning, leaping, and sliding with the music and with one another in perfect accord.  It was hard to remember that these were humans and not some dancing spirits.

Haku and Sakura watched, just as spellbound as the others.  Indeed, it was impossible not to be swept away with the music and the dancers movements.  The confidence with which they moved and the sometimes heated, sometimes sorrowful, and sometimes playful looks that they sent one another as they danced were fascinating to watch.  And when Serena announced that the show was over and that they were very thankful for all of them coming, Haku and Sakura, like the other spirits, felt saddened that it had to end.

Before he left the room Haku felt someone's eyes upon him and he looked over his shoulder back at the stage and saw Chihiro, or Sen, looking at him and Sakura.  He could see the pain and hurt in her eyes but then they're eyes locked upon one another and slowly the walls in her eyes came up and shut him out, making him wonder if he'd seen her pain or not.  Then, as arrogant as her friend, she mouthed the words 'oath breaker' at him and flounced off the stage with the human man called Diego.

Haku felt a strange feeling of jealousy sweep through him as Diego wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled Chihiro even closer to him.  He felt another person watching him then and she scanned his gaze across the stage and saw Serena, Kitty, Ace, and Chaz all watching him.  The twins held reproachful looks but Serena and Ace held taunting sneering looks and then Serena looked over her shoulder towards Chihiro and Diego.

"Why did you call me an oath breaker?"  He asked.  "Have you ever broken a promise?"  "No."  "You're lying."  She answered and narrowed her eyes at him.  "I really detest people who lie."  "And I really detest humans."  "Wonderful.  Then we should get along well don't you think oath breaker?"  "Why do you keep calling me that?!"  He demanded.  "Figure it out."  She taunted.  Haku heard their conversation once again in his head and he closed his eyes briefly to rid himself of it.  When he opened his eyes again they were all gone, and most of the customers were gone as well.

"Haku?  Are you coming?"  He heard Sakura call.

"Yes.  I'm coming."  He replied and left his seat to follow after her, a strange tug pulling at his heart…

"Sen!"  Chihiro heard someone calling for her and stopped when she recognized the voice.

"Rin?!"  She cried out excitedly and whirled around in time to catch the woman in a hug.

"Don't act so surprised!"  Rin admonished after she let Chihiro out of her bone-crushing hug.  "You should have known that I'd come see you as soon as I knew that was you up there!  And speaking of which, you did a really great job."

"Thanks Rin" Chihiro thanked her gratefully.

"So tell me; why aren't you hanging around Haku yet?"

"Chihiro, I mean Sen!  Why don't you introduce me to your lovely friend here?"  Diego asked as he flashed his gorgeous smile at Rin.

"Oh, I don't know."  Chihiro drawled.  "I think you can handle introducing yourself fairly well."

"Quite right."  He agreed and took Rin's hand in his own and kissed it.  "My name is Diego, might I have the pleasure of knowing a beautiful lady's name?"  He asked.

Rin blushed prettily and answered, "Rin."

"How does he do that?"  Kitty asked Serena as they came upon the… interesting scene before them.

"It's the European side of him."  Ace answered.  "He thinks it turns women on."

Serena grinned up at him and raised an eyebrow.  "I think you're jealous."

"I?  Jealous?  Of that uncouth lout?  Sweet Serena, perish the very though!"  He said and pulled Chihiro over to him and managed to wrap his arms around all three of them.  "You see, while he has one beautiful women, I have three."  The three said women all looked at each other and rolled their eyes.  A moment later they all pulled out of Ace's embrace and left to get a well deserved bath and then some sleep.  Or so they thought.

"Serena?  Sen?  Yu-Baaba wants to see you two."  Said a voice from behind them and when they turned to see who it was, Chihiro recognized the girl that'd been with Haku that fateful day.

Serena sighed and nodded.  "Fine, and you are?"

"Sakura."  She answered.

"Lead the way."  Serena grumbled, causing Chihiro to laugh softly.  Even when they were kids Serena followed a set schedule after a day of training.  First a bath, second was supper, third was time to brush teeth and wash face, fifth was maybe talking to family and friends, sixth, and most importantly, was sleeping for a few hours.  For Serena this was a cycle that was not to be disturbed, and after having been with her for a year, Chihiro agreed with her on that.  However, since Yu-Baaba was their employer they had to go meet with her but that didn't mean they had to be nice about it.

Sakura led them silently to the top floor, secretly intimated by the beautiful humans who followed her.  Unlike most humans they didn't carry a fleshy stench with them but rather one that was pleasing to the nose.  Sakura was also curious about the one called Sen; even now the people of the Aburaya still remembered her fondly.  Some even whispered that Haku had cared for the human child.  But that's impossible!  Haku would never like a human!  Sakura thought firmly and was a little startled to see Serena watching her with an amused expression on her face.

"Something amuses you Miss Serena?"  She asked.

"Yes, but I don't think you would appreciate the humor of it if I told you."  Serena answered.  Chihiro narrowed her eyes at her friend for a moment but Serena just smiled at her innocently.

"Oh sure.  Like I'm going to fall for that."  Chihiro whispered.

"Hey," Serena whispered back.  "It could happen."

And then they were there but Yu-Baaba wasn't alone.  Haku was also there with her and, to Chihiro, looking just as handsome as ever except now he had an iciness that hadn't been there before.  Yu-Baaba, on the other hand, looked exactly the same as she had all those years ago.  When Chihiro discreetly looked at Haku again underneath her lashes she saw him studying her with a cold, harsh expression on his face and was glad that Serena would be the one running the show.

"You sent for us?"  Serena asked haughtily, all signs of exhaustion gone from her body.

"Yes, I did.  I need Sen to sign a contract with me."

"What?!"  Chihiro cried out.  There was no way she was making another contract in which she belonged to someone.

"You still owe me money from when that no face monster attacked all of us!"  Yu-Baaba demanded.

Serena snorted and her bright green eyes narrowed angrily at the old hag.  "Your name may mean bath crone but it should be greedy crone."  She said, barely able to keep herself from snarling.  "How much money did you make off of us tonight?"  She snapped, not giving Yu-Baaba a chance to reply to her early remark.

"Quite a bit."  Yu-Baaba purred happily.

"Bon.  Then take whatever you believe that Chihiro owes you out of that.  You owe us forty-five percent of the total amount anyway and that should be more than enough to cover it."  Serena told her haughtily.

"What?!  Who said you got any of the money!"  Yu-Baaba screeched and Serena smiled coldly at her.

"I added a few stipulations to the contract," she said and tilted her head to the side.  "You really should read things before you sign them."

Yu-Baaba's face contorted in rage and she flew at Serena, who had quickly shoved Chihiro out of the way and into Haku's arms.  At any other time this probably would have made Chihiro blush as red as a tomato but she was more worried for her friend and what she and Yu-Baaba might do to one another.  Serena's eyes were glowing and flecks of gold sparked within her eyes and her whole body was tense and already in a fighting stance.  "This is so not good."  Chihiro murmured, causing Haku to look at her in curiosity.  

"Are you afraid for your friend?"  He asked, sounding like his old kind self.

"Of course but I'm more afraid for her because of her temper rather than because of Yu-Baaba."  She answered.

Yu-Baaba also seemed to be a bit wary of the human with the eyes that glowed in fury.  The scent of magic whirled about the girl as she stood silently, waiting for Yu-Baaba to make the first move.  "What are you girl?"  Yu-Baaba asked.

"Annoyed and hungry."  Came the instant reply.  Chihiro smiled a bit at that and relaxed.  If Serena was still able to come up with smart-ass comments then she wasn't looking to hurt her opponent.  Piss them off sure, but probably no more than that.

"You know that you had no right to tamper with that contract?"  Yu-Baaba asked as she floated in the air, a few feet from Serena.

"And you had no right to try and take advantage of me and my companions and although two wrongs do not make a right I do say that one turn deserves another."  Serena countered and closed her eyes for a moment.  When she opened them again her eyes were back to normal and she stepped out of the fighting stance she'd fallen into.

"You seem to have found some pretty strong friends, Sen." Yu-Baaba said to Chihiro.

"I did."  Chihiro answered and flashed a grin at Serena.  "Even if they do tend to forget that I can take care of myself."

"Oops.  Sorry about that sis."  Serena apologized.  "Instincts."  She explained with a shrug.

Chihiro nodded, accepting Serena's apology as regally as a queen.  "Is there anything else that you wanted to speak with us about Yu-Baaba?"  She asked and stepped out of Haku's arms, which had come up around her protectively.

"No."  Yu-Baaba answered shortly although she was still studying Serena.  "I'll agree to this arrangement but only because I wish to."

"Of course.  You are most kind."  Chihiro said and bowed to her respectfully.  "Come on Serena, the others will be worried by now."

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that.  Lead the way captain!"  She said good-naturedly and they showed themselves out Yu-Baaba's quarters.

Haku stood there, watching Chihiro as she disappeared behind the closed doors.  Holding her had felt so… right but spirits and humans were not meant to be with one another.  Were they?  He looked over at Sakura then and wondered what had made him change his thinking from what it had been all those years ago, when he and Chihiro had first met…

**Some things are worth fighting for!**

**Are they really?**

**Some feelings never die.**

**How do you know that?**

**I'm not asking for another chance, I just want to know why!**

**I can't tell you the answer, I don't know it.**


	4. Chapter 3: Stand Together, Always…

Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.**

Chapter 3:  Stand Together, Always… 

A bath, food, and a few hours of sleep had Chihiro and the others reenergized and alert for the new day.  Or at least, that's how it looked to Haku.  They had finished eating breakfast a little over an hour ago and were now going through some light stretching exercises or that was what it supposed to be.  The girls were all lying down on their backs with one leg in the air and had one of the guys lying in between their legs, slowly pushing that one leg back until it touched the ground above their head.  After holding the leg in place for a minute they slowly pulled it back down and repeated the process with the other.

That's supposed to be exercising?  Haku thought with a snort.  Yeah, right.  But he still continued to watch them.  It was easy to see that the guys were enjoying their positions and were ribbing the girls about it.  Finally, Serena and Chihiro both glanced a one another, looked over at Kitty, and then as one they all flipped the guys over their heads using their legs.

"Oops!  Sorry about that, mon amours."  Serena said sarcastically as she leapt nimbly to her feet.

"A hand, Serena?"  Kitty asked and held her hand up to the already standing girl.  Serena laughed softly and gripped her hand and pulled her to her feet.  She then offered her hand to Chihiro and pulled her up as well.  It was obvious that the girls were very close to one another from the sisterly attitudes that they had towards one another.  The only odd thing about it all was the way that Serena acted and was treated by the group.  It wasn't obvious that she was the leader but she was, despite the fact that she was probably the most playful of them all.  Well not always.  Haku amended as he remembered last night.  Most would either think that Ace was the leader for the guys, which he was, and that Chihiro or Kitty was the girl's leader with Ace being the top dog.  It was interesting how humans could do things a totally different way than what was expected.

"It's so hot."  Kitty murmured.

"Yeah, too bad we can't go swimming."  Chihiro agreed.

"Wait a minute, ladies."  Diego requested as he climbed to his feet.  "Why couldn't we swim?"

"Uh, good question."  Serena said softly and looked over at Chihiro.  "Well it's not like there's not enough water."  She said and nodded her head towards the river.

"Yeah but do you think it's safe?"  Kitty asked.

"I have no idea."  Chihiro answered honestly.

Serena nodded and grinned evilly and tossed her hair back a bit before looking over her shoulder, straight at Haku.  "What's your opinion dragon boy?  Would we be breaking any rules?"  

Haku blinked for a moment in surprise.  How did she know?  He wondered but leapt to the ground.  "It's fine if you wish to swim in the river; there are no rules that forbid it and there are no monsters that will harm you."  He answered honestly.

"Thanks!"  She said cheerfully and started to walk away.  "Come on Chihiro, Kitty!  We need to find our bathing suites!"  She called and the girls followed her.

"Hey!  Wear the string bikinis!"  Diego called.

"Hey man, that's my sister."  Chaz said warningly.

"Yes but unlike you, she is very beautiful."  Diego said snidely.

"Play nice you two."  Ace told them and looked over at Haku and studied him for a moment, well aware that Haku was doing the same to him.  He wondered if the river spirit ever regretted his decision to break his promise to Chihiro now that she'd grown up.  He'd seen Sakura and while there was no doubt as to her beauty, he found Chihiro to be more attractive.  She was honest and open with who she was and she'd never hurt anyone intentionally.  Sakura, she was a sly little vixen; a fact that he'd seen in her eyes when she'd come for Serena and Chihiro the other night.  But where Chihiro was sweet and open, Serena was cool and collected, and together, they made one hell of a team.

He wasn't sure about how much he liked or disliked Haku.  Personally, he believed that Chihiro really was in love the guy but if he loved her how could he turn to another?  According to Serena, Chihiro hadn't dated at all when they were younger and Chihiro had told them herself that she'd never really been interested in the dating game.  Perhaps it's time to change all of that.  Ace mused to himself.  "Would you like to join us, Haku?"  He asked politely and a grin slid unto his face.  "I'm pretty sure that the view will be incredible."

"I dare you to say that around Chihiro and Serena."  Chaz said with a grin.

Ace rolled his eyes and looked at him pointedly.  "Do I look as stupid as that?"  He asked.

"Well…  Now that you ask…" Diego began and broke off into laughter at the death glare that Ace was giving him.

"So, are you interested?"  Ace asked Haku.

Haku, who'd been more than a little stunned by the boy's offer, shook his head after a moment.  "I can't.  I have other duties to attend to."  He explained.

"I see.  Well, we'd better go change as well."  He said and the also started walking away.  When they were almost out of sight Haku heard Ace tell Diego that he had dibbs on Chihiro.  Haku was so disturbed by that comment that he never saw the two humans look back over their shoulders at him and grin at his expression.  If he'd ever bothered to ask someone probably would have told him that human males could be very very deceiving.  But he didn't and the three guys weren't about to tell him anything.

None of the girls wore string bikinis, much to the boy's disappointment but hey, they were in bathing suites weren't they?  Kitty wore a red bathing suit that had nearly no back and was meshed on the belly area.  Serena wore a black one strap bikini and Chihiro wore a blue bathing suit that didn't have a back and had most of the front cut out as well so the only thing connecting the bathing suit together was a little bit of cloth on her right side.

They guys, of course, all had on swim trunks that came to their knees.  For a while all they did was swim and do laps, as people who made their professions with their bodies they had to take excellent care of themselves.  It was ironic really, when most people thought of dancers they either thought of ballerinas or the people they saw with music artists like Brittany Spears, and when the latter was the case they expected the people to do drugs and drink and all that crazy junk.  However, the truth was a far different reality than what people assumed.

After they finished exercising the guys coaxed the girls unto their shoulders and into having a chicken fight.  As it was all in play they agreed and it was a tie between Chihiro and Kitty for the winner of the most knockdowns.

"You really need to be more competitive, Serena."  Ace complained good-naturedly to the girl on his shoulders.

Serena smiled, patted his head, and then allowed herself to fall backwards into the water.  She just couldn't work up a competitive spirit against her friends.  _Too lazy._  She thought to herself and looked up at the sky as she floated on her back, only to be pushed down into the water when Ace's hand landed on her stomach.

"Hey!"  She sputtered and stood up quickly.

"Get him, Serena!"  Chihiro yelled and winked at her.

Serena, understanding perfectly, nodded and smiled mischievously at him.  Ace just stood there grinning until he noticed that the water seemed to be moving and was getting to be quite firm around his ankles.  "What the hell?"  He muttered just before the water yanked him beneath its surface.  When the water let go, Ace shot back up to the surface and glared at Serena.  "I'm going to get you for that."  He informed her and started swimming towards her.  Serena, like any smart girl, yelped and started swimming away from him.

Chihiro and Kitty, deciding to help their fellow woman, tried their hardest to slow Ace down so that Serena could get away but unfortunately Ace had a secret weapon that he used mercilessly against them.  He tickled them until they cried for mercy and promised not to interfere.

And thus the day passed.  What they all failed to realize though was that they also provided the people at the bathhouse, who moved around during the day, a source of entertainment.  Had they been aware that they were being watched Chihiro and the others would have been very amused.  For although the spirits that worked here claimed not to like humans at all they seemed to find them awfully interesting for an 'inferior bunch of louts.'

Before, things like that would have hurt Chihiro's feelings but she'd grown a thicker skin while she stayed at Zeniba's with Serena.  It amazed her sometimes, at the speed in which she'd adapted to the Spirit World.  It's as if I've always belonged here or something.  She mused thoughtfully. 

"A penny for your thoughts?"  Serena asked lazily.

"I was just thinking about how much I like it here in Spirit World."  Chihiro answered honestly.

"Things are different here."  Serena replied honestly and looked up at the bright blue sky.  "Almost like time flows differently, no longer a set pattern but one that revolves around those that come."

"Do you always think like that?"  Chihiro asked teasingly.

"Like what?"

"Like there's a deeper meaning to everything?"

Serena glanced over at Diego who was making eyes at Kitty and grinned.  "Nope.  Some things, or guys, are just as shallow as they appear."  She replied, causing Chihiro to laugh.

"Hey Chihiro!"  Ace yelled.  "Duck!"  He added just as Chaz tackled her in the water.  Still laughing, Chihiro playfully fought back.  It was moments like this that bonded them ever more strongly together.  For now they were neither dancers nor adults; they were just children playing in the water.

"Hey!  Get back here!"  A shout could be heard throughout the bathhouse.  It was nighttime again and the bathhouse was once again beginning to get to work.  Everyone, except for the lovable troop of dancers that is.  The girls were currently running from three _very_ irritated guys who were chasing after the girls in their boxers and _nothing_ else.

"We are so dead!"  Chihiro wailed but didn't stop running.

"Ummm…  Maybe not…" Serena replied half optimistically.

"Nope.  Chaz has that look in his eyes.  We're going to die."  Kitty sided with Chihiro and Serena frowned at both of them.

"Up there!"  She yelled and leapt unto the balcony railing, still running; Chihiro and Kitty right behind here.  This way they got to practice balancing and they were able to avoid running into the other employees at the Aburaya.  Well that was the plan until Haku and Sakura decided to have a romantic moment out on the balcony.  Normally that wouldn't have mattered to Serena but Sakura was _sitting_ on the railing.  "Guys!  Get ready to jump over a sitting person!"  She called over her shoulder.

"What?!"

"What?!"  They both yelled at her but it was too late.  She had already jumped and when Chihiro saw Sakura sitting she did as well; Kitty also succeeded in jumping neatly over Sakura's head and the three raced on.

Sakura, meanwhile, was clutching Haku's shirt in terror.  "T-Th-They tried to kill me!"  She stuttered.

"Get back here you cowards!"  Shouted Chaz, Ace and Diego right beside him as they ran past Haku and Sakura.

"Actually, I think they're trying to escape."  Haku replied in amusement and they probably would have too if not for Chaz.  Somehow he had managed to catch up to the girls and grabbed hold of Kitty's foot, making her lose her balance and fall off of the railing and into her brother's arms.

Chihiro and Serena both stopped quickly and launched themselves at the unfortunate guy who merely wanted his pants back.  Five seconds later the other guys caught up and to call the mess that occurred next a dog pile would be putting things very lightly.  After about thirty minutes of wrestling the guys each had a girl pinned under him and they were all glaring daggers at the girls.  "So…  Whose bright idea was this anyway?"  Ace growled, completely oblivious to the crowd of spirits that had gathered.

"Mine."

"Mine."

"Mine."  Came the three prompt replies from all of the girls.

"They're doing it again."  Diego complained.

Ace nodded and looked down at Chihiro evilly.  "You know…  There's always one who's willing to be a traitor."  He said threateningly.

            Chihiro just laughed and smirked at him.  "Bring it on."  She said challengingly.

            Ace groaned and glared over at Serena who was threatening Chaz with torture, boiling in oil, death, mind games, and about a hundred other things and said, "You corrupted her!"  His tone was so unhappy that Serena and Chihiro both laughed outright at him.

            "Give it up Ace.  They never break."  Diego whined and got off of Kitty and helped her up as well.

            Ace just shook his head and glared at Chihiro and then at Serena and back to Chihiro.  "I know it was one of these two.  Kitty's too sweet to do anything like this on her own but she just feels a misplaced loyalty to these terrors and won't tell us."  He said seriously.

            Serena and Chihiro both lifted their heads a bit to glance at each other and rolled their eyes.  "Well aren't you the bright one in the bunch."  Serena drawled.

            "Yeah."  Chihiro agreed and smiled innocently at him.  "And I can' believe you just said that Kitty has no imagination!  You're a very cruel person, Ace!"  She scolded.

            "Now wait a minute!  I never said that Kitty-"

            "Oh yes you did!"  Kitty interrupted and whacked him upside the head with _his_ pants.

            The spirits watching all laughed at the amusing scene before them.  Things had certainly gotten more interesting around the Aburaya since their arrival.  It was then that the unruly humans finally noticed their audience and they actually had the nerve to grin at the spirits sassily.  However, none of the spirits were offended having witnessed the playful fighting scene for quite awhile.  Or at least, most of them weren't upset by it.

            "How disgusting."  Sakura said haughtily as she looked down at them.

            Ace glared at her and stood up and helped Chihiro up as well before he decided to rip into Sakura.  "Don't get your panties in a twist just because you're not getting any."  He said coolly and looked over at Haku.  "Man, I feel sorry for you.  I like heat in my bed rather than ice, if you know what I mean."  He added and looked pointedly at Sakura who was staring at him furiously.

            "Ace."  Chihiro said softly.

            "Yes, Chihiro?"  He asked softly, his voice quiet from anger.

            "I think we should all go now."

            "Oh I don't know about that babe."  He replied his eyes boring into Sakura's scathingly.

            "You had better take her advice."  Haku said warningly and stepped in front of Sakura.

            "Really?"  Ace drawled.  "Why's that?"

            "Ace."  Serena said her voice so icy cold in it's tone that it snapped straight through his rage.  "Let's do as Chihiro says."  She added.

            Ace turned his head slightly and his eyes met Serena's in a brief challenge.  After a few moments he nodded and stalked off.

            "Chihiro, would you mind-"

            "Don't worry.  I'll keep an eye on him."  Chihiro said reassuringly and followed after Ace.

            "Alright people!  That's all to this show!"  Serena called and the other three moved off to gently 'shoo' the spirits away.  Serena narrowed her eyes at Haku and then refocused her attention on Sakura when she finally stepped out from behind Haku.

            "You humans are all so disgusting and violent!"  She muttered.

            "And who are you to judge?"  Serena asked quietly.  The calmness in her voice at odds with the light that sparkled in her eyes.

            "I am a spirit, I have every right."  Sakura answered.

            "Wrong!"  Serena said, her voice ringing out into the night although she did not shout.  "You are nothing but a selfish child."  She continued and slowly stalked towards Sakura, who was even now backing away from her.  "What do you know of heartache or betrayal?  What do you know of seeing those you love die when you are the only survivor and not even the one you love wants you?"  She continued, her eyes burning emerald green and the gold flecks in her eyes sparking.  "How _dare_ you judge others when you know _nothing_ of the pain held within their hearts?!"  She growled.  "You are but a malicious child, Sakura.  A child who thinks she is better than everyone else which means that _she_ is the one who is actually impugning the patience of _her_ betters."  She added and then started to walk away from her.

            "And are you one of my betters?"  Sakura demanded to know.

            "No."  Serena answered and turned back around, the fire in her eyes still burning brightly.  "But I will be justice's blade should I need to be."  She warned softly, dangerously, and then walked silently from the balcony.

_It's a battle of wills!  In the heat of attack, It's the passion that kills!  The victory is yours alone!_  The words from the song that they had performed and sang last night echoed through Haku's mind.  These were not normal humans, their souls burned more brightly, more passionately than what they would normally.  It was that fire that allowed them to move about so comfortably in Spirit World, none of them were cowed by the unusual things they saw.  When they were challenged they met whomever or whatever that challenged them head on and didn't back down.  _And they all protected one another._  He thought in his mind, a bit enviously.

**_That's because we're friends, Dragon boy, and friends always stand together.  Always._**  He heard Serena's voice echo throw his mind.  After a moment he sighed and took Sakura's hand in his own and led her back inside.

On the other side of the Aburaya Serena leaned against the wall and listened to her friends and comrades argue about what songs they wanted to perform to that night.  Using the powers he'd been born with she had delved into Haku's heart and had discovered that he wasn't truly as bad as she had first believed.  She still didn't like him but since Chihiro loved him she was determined to either help her get him or get over him.  She smiled then as she looked at her friends, and she knew four other people who'd be more than willing to help.  Together, they were unstoppable.

_Beware Spirit World!_  She thought in amusement.  _For thou hast been invaded by the craziest bitches and bastards that the Living World has to offer, and damned if we don't make it fun!_  

Chihiro looked over at her then and smiled at her 'sister.'  "Come over here Serena and help us get our way against the guys!"  She called.  With a laugh and a light-hearted smile Serena did just that.

**Is it written in the stars?**

**If I said yes would you believe me?**

**Are we paying for some crime?**

**No, you're not.**

**Is this God's experiment, in which we have no say?**

**No again.**

**In which we're give paradise, but only for a day?**

**Paradise is what you make of it.  The question is: Will you take the chance when it's offered to you or will you let it slip by?**

**…**

**Exactly.**

~~~ Special thanks to animegirl-mika for letting me know that I had my anonymous review block thing on.  Thanks a mil! ~~~


	5. Chapter 4: Let’s Begin the Killing Time

Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.**

Chapter 4:  Let's Begin the Killing Time 

            "You okay?"  Ace asked Serena as he brought her a cup of coffee from the kitchens.  All the others were asleep; exhausted from the show they put on and then the rehearsal that Serena put them through.

            "Thanks."  She murmured gratefully and took a sip before answering.  "I'm fine.  Why do you ask?"

            Ace gave her the 'look' and snorted.  "How long have we known each other?"

            "Since your mom insisted on bringing you over to my home since I was an infant."  She answered promptly and smiled at him.  "I swear, every time you came to France we had to civilize you out of your American accent."  She teased.

            "Right."  He drawled.  "My point is I know when something's bothering you.  If I can I want to help."

            Serena sighed softly and leaned her head against his shoulder for a few moments as she looked up at the sky.  "Chihiro truly loves him and I think that he may love her back from somewhere deep within but I don't understand why he acts so…so…"

            "Cold?"  He suggested.

            "Yes, thank you.  So cold towards her.  If loving is a crime then wouldn't more than half the world be paying fines?"

            Ace laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.  "He's probably just confused 'Rena.  He has one girl on his arm already but he's getting feelings for one that he thought he wouldn't ever see again.  Add that to the fact that he's a spirit and she, like us, is human and you have some major minor problems."

            "I know.  It's just… Chihiro is my sister, Ace."

            "Not to mention the one under your protection as a Guardian."  He added.

            She rolled her eyes and glared at him.  "No.  Chihiro can take care of herself and-"

            "Then why are you worried?"  He interrupted.

            She sighed and looked out to the rising sun.  "I don't know.  I feel…anxious, for lack of a better word.  I feel like something is in the shadows and it's waiting for me to drop my guard so that it can strike."  She rubbed her face with her free hand and shook her head.  "But strike at what?  You, Me, Chihiro, Kitty, Chaz, Diego, the Spirit World, the Living World, the whole damn world?  I don't know."

            "You're not alone you know.  All of us will fight this with you."

            Serena smiled at him then and nodded.  "I know.  First things first though.  We need to deal with Sakura."

            "I agree.  Any suggestions?"

            "First have him, oops I mean her.  Have her and Haku break it off.  Second, let Chihiro and Haku get to know each other.  Third, see what happens and let it."

            "Don't they already know each other?"  Ace asked pointedly.

            "Not really.  They've both change a lot.  Chihiro especially ever since the death of her parents and all."

            "Yeah… I suppose you're right."  He agreed.

            "Oh.  Could you, Chaz, and Diego keep making Haku jealous?  It'll do wonders for him."  She said with a laugh.

            "Who said I was trying to make him jealous?"  Ace wanted to know, causing Serena to frown at him for a moment and then her expression turned to quiet sympathy.

            "Ace, I'm sorry but Chihiro really does love Haku.  Even though he's a jerk towards her she-" And then Ace interrupted her yet again.  Except this time it was with his mouth, which he placed over her own in a teasing kiss.

            "I never said who I wanted to be jealous now did I?"  He asked softly, nipped her bottom lip, and then left her out on the balcony to muse.

            Serena looked back up at the sky and sighed.  _Why this now?_  She wanted to moan.  _Chihiro, this is all your fault for being in love._  She added a bit irritated and then grinned.  _But oh well I guess… What happens, happens._

            Later on in the evening Ace decided to cause a bit of mischief in the bathhouse so he waited until he spotted the 'fair' Sakura and began plan that had formed in his mind.  He strolled very calmly and seeming absently through the bathhouse singing a song from a show he'd once seen.

            _Total slaughter…_

_            Total slaughter…_

Although he didn't stop singing or change his bored facial expression, Ace's sharp eyes noted every worried look and grinned inwardly to himself.

_I won't leave, a single man alive._

Sakura watched him coming with a frightened look in her eye and gripped Haku's arm and then swiftly ducked behind him to hide from the human.  Ace had to use all of his control to stop himself from sneering at her in contempt but he continued on as though they meant nothing.

            _La di dadi di, genocide._

_            La di dada da, an ocean of blood._

He slid the door to the room he and the others used for their shows and stepped through, still singing.

            _Let's begin the killing time._

            And then he slid the door shut.  "Well, that was lovely."  Kitty said dryly as she looked at him in a scolding.

            "Hey, we're supposed to shake things up."  He countered and looked over at the stage area where Serena and Chihiro were currently sparring.  While none of them may have looked, or acted like it, they were all black belts in their own choice of martial arts.  The only exception being Chihiro and that was simply because she'd only just begun a year ago.  "She took to this so naturally.  She's already way ahead of where she should be."  He murmured as he watched Chihiro.

            "Mmm-hmm.  I believe that necklace Serena gave her works as an amplifier for Chihiro's natural talent."  Kitty murmured thoughtfully.  "Not to mention that Chihiro's got a great teacher who knows more about fighting than normal people should."

            "There is that."  He agreed.

            "Don't put all your weight on your front leg."  Serena called out in warning.  Chihiro instantly readjusted her balance but a few minutes later she'd done it again trying to fend Serena off.

            "How many warnings so far?"  He asked Kitty.

            "Three."  

            "She's busted."  He stated sadly.  Serena was an excellent teacher but she only gave three warnings about the same problem before _showing_ you why you wanted to fix it.  Sure enough, in the next few seconds Serena made her move.  Moving her leg in a sweeping motion she hooked Chihiro's leg with her own and yanked her leg out form under her. And because that was where all of Chihiro's weight had been she went down.

            "Ouch.  I remember having that done to me more than a few times."  Ace muttered.

            "Hey!  Sparring time's over!"  Diego yelled.  "We need to get ready for toni- eh?"  He started to add but fell quiet when Haku came storming in.  Well not really storming, more like stalking in anger.

            "What was that all about?!"  He demanded to know when he saw Ace.

            "Huh?  Hey!   What's going on?!"  Chaz yelled from the other side of the room.

            "Just a boy worrying about irrelevant things."  Ace yelled back.

            "They're provoking him!"  Chihiro exclaimed in surprise.

            "Uh-huh."  Serena agreed with a slight frown.  "Question is why?"  She asked and held out her hand and pulled Chihiro to her feet.

            Ace, Chaz, and Diego were all doing their hardest to rile Haku up.  Unfortunately for Haku, and the girls, the guys were doing an excellent job.  At first it was more between Haku and Ace but then Diego got into it, bringing his hot-blooded Spanish temper with it.  Kitty was trying to calm them down but the guys were riled themselves and itching for a fight.

            "Stop it!"  Chihiro yelled and threw herself onto Haku, who barely managed to catch her, and whirled around to glare at the three men in a silent rebuke.  As for Serena, she was the vocal one.

            "What the hell do you idiots think you're doing?"  She yelled and pushed Diego back a bit since he seemed to be the most provoked right now.  Like the Spaniard she had a temper of her own and didn't mind getting into a shouting match.

            "He is intruding upon _our _territory!"  He bit out.

            "Knock it off, Spaniard!"  She growled.  "You do _not_ take on the right hand of your employer!"

            Diego then went into a bit of a rage, which caused everyone else to stare at him in surprise, except for Serena whom he was yelling at.  Her eyes seemed to brighten a bit in anticipation and more than a little bit of mischief.  Chihiro mentally winced as a moment later Serena began to verbally rip Diego to shreds.  The words, phrases, and terms that she spouted of would have made a weathered seaman blush and a hardened miner stare in shock.  When she was finally done, Diego, and everyone else, stared at her in shock.

            "Well.  I feel violated."  Diego said finally, a grin on his face.

            "I'm sure."  Serena replied and grinned back at him.  "Chihiro, why don't you take Haku out for a bit of air and check him over for wounds."  She suggested teasingly.

            "All right."  Chihiro agree quietly and led Haku out of another door that led out onto the balcony.

            As soon as they were out of earshot Serena looked at the three guys and winked.  "A stellar performance gentlemen, you've got my vote for the Oscars."

            "Thanks but 'Rena?"

            "Yes?"

            "Watch your mouth next time.  Your father would have beaten us both."  Ace said.

            "Now Ace,"  she drawled and winked at him.  "Where do you think I learned all that from?"  She asked innocently.

            "What?!"

            "I'm sorry about that."  Chihiro apologized after hopping up on the wooden railing on the balcony to sit.  "Are you alright?"  She asked a moment later and looked at him worriedly.

            At first Haku didn't say anything, as he simply stared at the self-assured girl, no, woman sitting in front of him.  It was a shocking change from the clinging child she'd been so long ago and the broken girl she'd been a year ago.  "You seem different."  He said finally.

            Chihiro blinked in surprise and nodded slowly.  "Yes."  She agreed softly.  "I am."

            "Why did you come back here Chihiro?"  He asked.

            For a moment she didn't answer and stared off into the distance.  When she finally looked back at him her eyes held a great deal of sorrow and barely concealed pain.  "Because there's nothing back in the Living World for me."

            "What about your parents?"  He asked, surprised that she would say something like that.

            "They're dead, Haku."  She answered and looked away again.  "They died over a years ago in a car wreck.  I was supposed to have died but somehow I was thrown clear just before the impact."  She added in a whisper.  Another thing that she had to the pendent Serena had given her for, even then it had been protecting her as best it could without her being aware of it.

            "Why didn't you say anything?!"  He wanted to know, stunned that something so terrible had happened to her.  While he may not have thought about her a great deal after Sakura had come into his life he'd always assumed that she would be safe and happy in her world.

            Chihiro closed her eyes for a moment and straightened her posture elegantly so when she looked back at him all he could see was a perfectly poised woman, the vulnerability that had been there a second ago completely gone.  "I believe that when I did try to come to you and talk about it you were too busy 'getting rid of the filth' so that your beloved Sakura would not have to be near a 'filthy human.'"  She answered calmly, no hint of sadness, anger, or malice in her tone.

            "If I had known I would have-"

            "Pitied me?"  She interrupted and smiled a small mocking smile then.  "Pity isn't what got me over my parents death, Haku.  Nor was it pity that got me over you."  She added after a moment's thought.

            "What do you mean?"

            "You know children, Haku."  She replied with a shrug.  "They love completely and honestly, I wasn't any different but even children have to grow up one day don't they?"  She asked.  

            "That's the order of things."

            "Yes, I know.  You showed me that very clearly.  She said with a soft smile and looked at him.  "But that's alright now.  Then…it crushed me but I've learned how to not need you.  Or expect you to keep your promises."  

            "Chihiro, I…"

            "Yes Haku?"

            "I would have come."

            She smiled softly again and shook her head.  "Don't lie to me or yourself Haku."  She said gently, soothingly.  "The first time I was in Spirit World you were different, not as hard and cold as you are now, and I think you might have been my friend then but… well, people change as they grow older don't they?"  

            "I am your friend Chihiro."

            "Are you?"  She asked curiously.  "Despite the fact that you 'detest humans?'"

            "Your friend has a big mouth."

            "Yes but she's the truest friend I'll ever have."  Chihiro answered with a smile.  "And I know she'll always be there to catch me if I fall and help me back together when I'm broken.  Just like the others will."

            "Basically everything that I wasn't?"  He asked, a trace of bitterness in his voice.

            "I'm just being honest, Haku.  I've nothing to hide any more so why complicate things by playing games?"  She replied and leapt nimbly to her feet.

            "You've grown stronger too I see."  He mused thoughtfully.

            "Yes, I have."  She agreed and began to walk back inside.  "Haku?"

            "Yes?"

            "One day, not now but someday, I want to know why you broke your promise to me."  She said and went back inside leaving him to his thoughts…

Chihiro sang the lyrics softly as the sound of guitars played over the crowd.

            _Oooh oooh…_

_            Oh why you love?  So much pain…_

Serena's voice echoed after Chihiro's.

So much pain.

            Chihiro sung again.  The main spotlight was on her and she looked angelic in a long white dress with a low scoop collar and her hair was down except for a single braid woven with white ribbons.  She was standing still for now, on the main catwalk, just looking out at the crowd as she sang.  

            _Sittin on the roof, starin at the stars._

_            Thinkin to myself, 'how could I have fallen so hard?_

_            When all I was told was lies.'_

_            Now that I think about it, it makes me cry!_

And then, just as she finished Serena and Kitty came in with the chorus.

            _To know someone I gave my heart to,_

_            Just tore my heart apart._

And then Chaz joined them on the chorus.

_My love lifted zealously, why did this love have to start?_

And then Chihiro entered again as she echoed:

Why did… 

            And as she held her part the girls and Chaz continued with the chorus:

            _Feeling the love I have for you just rushes through my veins._

_            Why does love have to be so much pain?_

Kitty sang alone, and echo of the chorus.

_So much pain…_

Chihiro sung, echoing Kitty.

So much pain… 

Serena mostly whispered, and partly sang.

So much pain.

Chihiro once again sang alone, this time she began walking around and the spotlight followed her.  Since the beginning of the song Ace and Diego had been out of sight but you could hear them in the darkness, snapping their fingers at timed intervals to make up part of the background sounds.  Serena and Kitty were in a dimly lit spotlight that barely showed their features and you could barely tell that they were in long skirts and cropped belly shirts.  Chaz stood with them dressed in black pants and a pale blue shirt.

            _Memories, no one can take away the pain that I will feel,_

_            Each and every day._

_            And it's gonna be hard, but I will pull myself through._

_            Or else I'll never get over lovin you!_

            And then Serena and Kitty once again entered with the beginning of the chorus:

            _To know someone I gave my heart to,_

_            Just tore my heart apart._

            And then Chaz entered again:

_            My love lifted zealous, why did this love have to start?_

_            Feeling the love I have for you just rushes through my veins._

_            Why does love have to be so much pain?_

            And then Chihiro echoed them by singing:

            _So much pain…_

            And then Serena and Kitty sang together:

_            So many nights,_

_            So many tears I've cried._

            And then Serena echoed it by singing:

            Cried…

            And then Chihiro picked it up and began to sing alone once again.

            No one to be, by my side.

            Stuck with misery and pain.

            You were the one to bane.

            'Cause it hurts to know…

            And then Serena and Kitty sung:

            _To know someone I gave my heart to,_

            And Chihiro echoed them by saying, rather than singing:

            _It hurts to know._

            And Serena and Kitty continued to sing their part:

_            Just tore my heart apart._

            And once again Chihiro echoed them by saying:

            _You tore my heart apart._

            And then as Serena and Kitty continued to sing Chaz joined them yet again:

            _My love lifted zealous, why did this love have to start?_

_            Feeling the love I have for you just rushes through my veins._

_            Why does love have to be so much pain?_

            And then Chihiro echoed then yet again by saying:

            _Why does there have to be so much pain?_

            And then Chihiro once again sang by herself.

            _So much pain._

_            Oooh…_

            And as Chihiro drawled out her part Serena echoed her by softly whispering:

            _So much pain._

            And then it once again picked up where Chihiro left off.

            _…oooh…_

_So much pain._

_            Oooh…_

            And as she carried on the last note she stopped walking around and ended up exactly from where she'd started.  And during that whole time the lights had slowly been dimming until the room was completely immersed in darkness.

            For a few seeming endless long moments it remained a completely silent darkness and then they spirits from the Aburaya once again heard music and odd sounds began to play as spotlights in different colors began to move all over the room and on the walls they could see only endless fathoms of stars and then suddenly a large moon appeared in the air near the ceiling just as the sounds of drums could be heard.  All the different colored spotlights immediately shut off except for a few, which were now centered on Ace and Serena.

Ace was dressed in dark blue pants and the only shirt he had on was a button up white one in which none of the buttons had been fastened.  Serena had also seemed to change and was now wearing a pair of skintight shiny black pants and a sparkly silver halter-top that exposed her stomach.  Her hair, like Chihiro's, was down but she had a lot of small braids in hers without the ribbons.  And then as Ace began to sing you could see the faces and bodies of people staring at Serena with obvious false smile, looks of dislike and curiosity.

            _She's takin her time, makin up the reasons._

_            To justify all the hurt inside._

_            Guess she knows, from the smiles and the look in their eyes,_

_            Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one._

            Serena, who'd previously only been walking, looked back at the ghostly figures haughtily and her eyes almost seemed to glow in challenge as she tossed her long hair back and circled around them.

            _They're sayin:_

_            Mama never loved her much and her,_

_            Daddy never keeps in touch._

_            That's why she shies away from human affection._

            And as she came close to one they reached out their hand and she recoiled visibly from them, her facial expressions set in obvious distrust.

            _But, somewhere in a private place._

_            She packs her bag for outer space._

_            And now she's waitin for the right kind of pilot to come…_

And then Chaz and Diego stepped out of the swirl of people for a moment and sang:

And she'll say to him…

            And then Ace picked it up again as Serena instantly started to dance in an almost violent manner as the figures around her began to move and she somehow managed to make her moves both sensual and hostile as she slowly made her way to Ace and acted out the words that he sang.

            _She'll say, _

_            Yeah, I'll fly you to the moon and back._

_            If you'll be,_

_            If you'll be my baby!_

_            You've got to take it for a world where we'll belong!_

_            So would you be my baby?_

            She spun away from him then and then the lights began to change to suit his words and Serena's facial and body emotions continued to grow ever more expressive as she danced.  Her lithe body twisting in unspoken pain and rage.

            _She can't remember a time,_

_            When she felt needed._

_            If love was red, then she was colorblind._

            Just then another spotlight came on and Chihiro and Kitty could be seen for a very brief time.  They were seemingly limply hanging from a rope and their eyes held nothing but despair and agony.  Over then stood a huge ghost like spirit who wielded a lethal looking whip in his hand.

            _All her friends, have been trialed for treason!_

_            And crimes that were never defined but,_

            Serena moved to the center of the catwalk and for a moment she joined Ace as he continued to sing:

            _She's saying:_

_            Love is like a barren place and I,_

_            Reachin out for human faith is,_

_            Is like a journey I just don't have a map for!_

She moved away from the center then and jumped and almost seemed to touch the stars about her as she landed gracefully back on her feet.

            _So, baby gonna take a dive and I_

_            We'll shift to overdrive, until we're safe._

_            She's hangin all her hopes on the stars…_

            And then Chaz and Diego once again entered as Ace's voice trailed off:

            _What a pleasant dream._

            And then Ace picked back up

            _She's saying:_

_            Yeah, I'll fly you to the moon and back._

_            If you'll be,_

_            If you'll be my baby!_

_            I've got to take it for a world where we'll belong!_

_            So would you be my baby?_

            And once again Chaz and Diego entered as they're compelling voices sang out to the dancing Serena, as though they were beseeching her to come to them.

            _Hold on…_

_            Hold on…_

            Serena did stop dancing for a short moment and looked at all of them but when they all stopped singing and just the instruments could be heard she once again began to dance.  This time her brilliantly colored eyes were closed and she seemed to be moving only to the music's will.

            _Mama never loved her much and her,_

_            Daddy never keeps in touch._

_            That's why she shies away from human affection._

_            But, somewhere in a private place._

_            She packs her bag for outer space._

_            And now she's waitin for the right kind of pilot to come…_

            And Ace and Diego entered again as they sung:

            _And she'll say to him…_

            By now Serena was right in front of Ace and the two were dancing together.  As with before, she sung with him for a short time but this time Ace had his hands on her slender body and was rubbing his hands in sensuous motions over her, just as she was doing to him.  The unspoken challenge in both their eyes didn't fade but now it was backed with a certain kind of heated promise.

            _She's saying:_

_            Yeah, I'll fly you to the moon and back._

_            If you'll be,_

_            If you'll be my baby!_

_            I've got to take it for a world where we'll belong!_

_            So would you be my baby?_

_            Now I'll fly you to the moon and back._

_            If you'll be,_

_            If you'll be my baby!_

_            You've gotta take it for a world where we'll belong._

_            So would you be my baby?_

            _Now I'll fly you to the moon and back._

_            If you'll be,_

_            If you'll be my baby!_

_You've gotta take it for a world where we'll belong._

_            So would you be my baby?_

_            Yeah…!_

            As Ace drawled off the music continued and the two were able to do some of the more elaborate ending moves for this song which made more than one of the spirits watching a bit uncomfortable from the emotions that it was stirring within themselves.  These two were obviously very good at what they did and from their movements it appeared that they were very good in other matters as well as Ace held up briefly in the air, before letting Serena slide down his body and did some kind of twist spin as the lights once again faded to darkness.

            And so, the night went on as they performed song after song after song.  Each more complicated than the last and usually involving all of them.  To anyone who knew Chihiro and the other's moods they would have realized that they were dancing away all the tensions that had formed earlier during the day.  The heated looks full of promise and passion that so enflamed their audience was but another bit of acting for them.  The girls moved their bodies sensuously to the dominating men when the song called for it and danced teasingly away when they appeared to want.

            The spirits watching them had no idea of this of course and jealousy reared its dark head in one particular spirit especially.  Haku watched as all three of the men rubbed their hands over Chihiro at one point or another in the revealing clothes that she wore that featured her body perfectly.  There was a hunger building in him, a dragon's hunger that was directed solely on Chihiro rather than Sakura and burned all the more brightly because he knew that she would not allow him to have her now.  He'd missed his chance a year ago and it was obvious that she wasn't going to let him have a second very easily.

            **What is the answer?**

**            You hold the answer deep within your own mind.**

**            But how can I?  I don't know what the answer is!**

**            Unconsciously, you've forgotten it.  That's how the human mind works.**

**            But why?  I want, no, need to remember.**

**            Whenever something is too unpleasant, too shameful for us to entertain we reject it and erase it from our memory.**

**            But if it's been both rejected and erased then how can it be remembered?**

**            But the answer is always there, just not in your conscious mind.**

**            So why can't I recall it?**

**            Are you asking the single right question or all the wrong ones?**

**            I don't know.**

**            To know the answer you must first know the question.**

**            What if you're afraid of the answer?**

            Then you must linger in the dark without ever realizing the truth.  Such is your choice…

Replies/Answers to Reviewers Comments/Questions:

            Wow.  I didn't think I would get so many reviews and stuff for the previous chapter (not that I'm complaining!)  I just wanted to say thanks to all those wonderful people out there who are enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

Magic Cat – I'm glad that you're enjoying 'Shades' so much and don't worry.  Kamajii and Chihiro will meet up again son enough.  As for the songs…  That would be great!  One of the reasons why it takes so long to update this fic is because of the songs and having to get the lyrics as accurate as I can.  I would be very, extremely, knee-grovelingly, grateful if you would e-mail me the title's and lyric's to the songs that you mentioned.

Princess Sara – The words at the end of chapter 3 are part of a song.  If they're Aida's… I have no clue.  It's possible that Aida does sing this song but I believe the original was sung by Elton John which is were I got the phrases from.  I believe that the name is 'Is it written in the stars'

Well that's all the questions, I think…  So I'll end this now and go past this chapter.

Au revoir


	6. Chapter 5: Tired of Lies and Halftruths

Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.**

Chapter 5:  Tired of Lies and Half-truths 

_            "Guardian."_

_            Yes?_

_            "Why are you concealing what you truly are?"_

_            Leave me alone._

_            "You can't hide what you are for forever."_

_            Neither can you._

_            "We shall see, young Guardian…But will you see me coming?"_

            With a half gasp, half growl, Serena jerked awake, her hands searching for a weapon that she was not holding.  "Well you're a cocky son of a bitch, whoever you are."  She muttered and glanced around the room to make sure that all of her friends were still safely sleeping.  The owner of that voice was a threat to her and all those she held dear.  What he wanted exactly she had no clue but… she felt a deep sense of unease from the very depths of her soul.

            _What was that movie with the robot that said something like, 'danger Will Robinson!'?_  She wondered, slightly amused at her own thoughts as she silently made her way out of the room and made her way to the balcony and sat down on the railing and propped her back up against one of the boards holding the roof up.

            _She's wild.  Even for a Guardian._

_            That one is a night creature!_

_            She's too unpredictable to be a Guardian._

_            With her power and potential we could-_ Serena shook her head violently then to shake off the memories from her childhood.  As a breeze gently caressed her face she looked towards he rising sun and smiled.  Another sunrise equaled a new day full of things to do.  Still smiling, she leaned her head back against the post and closed her eyes, content to nap for a short while.

            _I'll see you.  The real question is, will you be able to see me?_  She thought before slipping back to sleep.

            Haku was at the door to the boiler room when he heard voices coming from inside.  He'd been planning on visiting Kamajii but if he was busy then Haku would have to come back later.  He started to walk away until he heard someone yelp 'Chihiro' and then a large crash.  Without thinking about why he was worried, Haku rushed into the room and stared in shock at the sight before him.  Chihiro, and the other humans that she'd brought with her, were all lying on the floor piled on top of one another.

            "Oops."  He heard Chihiro mutter from somewhere in the tangle of bodies.  From his place at the wheel Kamajii was laughing so hard that he actually had to wipe tears off his face.

            "Do all your stunts end like this?"  He asked the human jumble of limbs.

            "Not usually."  Chihiro grunted in reply and as they tried to separate themselves from one another without too much damage.

            "Oh look.  Company."  Chaz groaned when he saw Haku and laid his head in Chihiro's lap.  "I think I've got a concussion."  He added, looking at her balefully.

            "Aww…Poor baby."  She crooned and kissed his forehead playfully and looked over at the others.  Kitty had tried to warn them that there wasn't enough space in the boiler room for them to show a dance routine to Kamajii but they'd tried anyway and had ended up in quite a tangle.  Kitty and Diego had been on top and to the side so they didn't appear as dazed as they others but Serena and Chaz had both been on the bottom and looked a little worse for wear.

            Serena babbled something in French and Ace grinned and looked over at Haku.  "She said, 'welcome to the madhouse.'"   He translated with and shook his head at the girl laying in his lap.

            "I wasn't aware that you had company, Kamajii."  Haku said to the old boiler man.

            "My granddaughter came to see me and brought all of her friends."  Kamajii answered with a chuckle.  "And how are you doing today Master Haku?"

            "I'm fine."  He answered politely and walked back out of the boiler room.

            "Is it me or did he seem in a hurry to get out of her?"  Diego asked.

            "Well you and the others did get him riled the other day."  Kitty reminded him.

            "Yes but-"

            "Hey!  No arguing yet!"  Chaz groaned pleadingly.

            "I'll second that motion."  Serena murmured but then her eyes narrowed in thought and she looked over in Kamajii's general direction.  "Kamajii, were did that Sakura girl come form?"  He asked curiously.

            "Well I only know what Rin told me but I heard that she is a water spirit like Haku."

            "Is she powerful then?"  Chihiro asked.

            "No, the water she is in charge of is actually more of a stream or brook than anything.

            "And when did she and Haku get together?"  Serena asked.

            "I believe it was three years after Chihiro crossed back over into her world."

            "I guess promises don't mean a whole lot after you find the girl of your dreams."  Chihiro murmured sadly.

            "There are none of us who are perfect."  Ace said quietly.  "We may judge others to the standards we set for ourselves but eventually we must realize that the standards we set for ourselves are not the same ones that everyone else may set."  He added and looked over at Chihiro.  "While this saying fits into the Living World perfectly it also fits into this one even more so."

            "What do you mean by that?"  Kamajii asked.

            "Because here you have spirits who are just as easily motivated by greed and power as humans are.  The only difference is that the spirits here still believe themselves to be a better than us mere humans?  Why?  Because they are spirits!  We humans are the bane of the earth yet our only crime is that we wish to live and expand upon our knowledge and creativity.  While we may not always make the right choices in our hunt for this knowledge we are at least capable of admitting that we are imperfect beings."

            After a few moments of thoughtful silence Chaz looked at Ace and said, "Whoa man.  That was deep."

            "Who would've thought?"  Serena murmured, causing the others to laugh a bit and broke the ice.

            "Hey, watch it you."  Ace threatened.

            "So what are your plans for today?"  Kamajii asked the group.

            "Not a clue.  We're going to be suffering from boredom soon."  Ace said mournfully.

            "Why not help out the others with the bath house?"  Kamajii suggested.

            "Ummm… That may be in violation of our contract."  Serena mused.  "Or Yu-Baba might claim it is in any case."

            "Oh?  You mean you actually got the better of her?!"  Kamajii asked in surprise.

            "I wouldn't say that."  Serena replied.  "I just evened out the playing field."  When the others started to laugh at that she opened her eyes to mere slits and glared at them.

            "So what are we going to do?"  Kitty asked.

            Only silence greeted her.  Unfortunately for the young entertainers they were very easily bored due to their artistic natures and were seeking something different to do.  While keeping themselves busy in the Living World hadn't been a problem it was a bit harder in Spirit World.  Apparently a thought just hit Serena because she immediately jumped up, winced a bit from moving too quickly, and then grinned at the others.  

            "Anyone up for a little paintball war?"  She asked.  Five challenging grins were her answer.

            Haku and Sakura were having a picnic near the river that day.  They were lying next to a bunch of shrubs that completely hid them from the Aburaya and it's inhabitants.  Both Sakura and Haku were lying on their sides beside each other and had long since stopped talking and were more intent upon exploring each other's mouths and bodies.  Although for Haku, he seemed to have some trouble in his mind seeing her as Sakura rather than Chihiro.

            Just then two bodies leaped over the bushes and right into the middle of their food, throwing it everywhere.  "What kind of idiots leave food sitting out?"  They heard a male grumble and a female laugh.

            "Haku?"  He heard Chihiro half yelp in surprise a second later.  It took all of Haku's will power not to wince at the shock in her voice at the sight that greeted her.  Both his and Sakura's shirts were off and it was obvious that they'd been doing a little more than just kissing.

            "Get down Chihiro!"  Yelled Chaz as he threw her to the ground and covered her body with his own.  They were both dresses in black jeans and black boots but Ace didn't have on a shirt and Chihiro was wearing a tight black halter-top that exposed her stomach completely.  They were also both wearing paintball masks to protect their eyes and faces giving them a bit of an evil look.  Both had small black backpacks on with extra paintballs and CO2 cartridges.

            "What do you two think you're doing?!"  Sakura screeched, causing Haku to wince in pain.

            "Shut the hell up!"  Chaz and Chihiro both snapped in furious whispers as they peered through the openings in the bushes, both of their bodies tense.  Serena and Ace were cautiously making their way away from the bushes.  If they kept going then Chihiro and Chaz would be able to sneak up behind than and take them down.

            "I said what are you two doing here?!"  Sakura yelled.

            "Damn it!"  Chaz growled when he saw Serena's head jerk around and stare at the bushes for a long moment.  He was too far away to hear what she said to Ace but he stopped as well and looked at the bushes too.  "Well let's make it a party."  Chaz muttered and decided to show his annoyance by shooting Sakura in the chest and leg.  It only stung her a bit but she still screamed like a stuck pig.  "Hey look, she bleeds green!"  Chaz laughed.

            "Chaz!"  Chihiro scolded but not even the mask covering her face could conceal her amused grin.  Chaz grinned back at her but when he looked back up he was stunned to see that Serena and Ace were nowhere in sight.

            "That's not good."  Chihiro said, echoing his thoughts.

            "Wow.  You're a bunch of smart ones."  They heard Serena's familiar voice say from behind them.  Chaz threw himself to the left and onto Haku and Sakura, firing away at Serena and Ace while Chihiro went to the right doing the same.  It was a last chance stand and not very surprisingly they died but they did manage to take Ace down and got a couple of hits on Serena.

            "Is it you humans main purpose in life to make us miserable?!"  Sakura demanded to know.

            Ace raised an eyebrow as he looked at the topless Sakura covered in paint from Chaz's gun and his and Serena's.  "Don't flatter yourself."  He said dryly and dug into his own pack and dug out a button up shirt he'd been wearing earlier and threw it at her.  "Cover yourself up while you're at it.  My friends and I aren't interested in looking at cheap goods. Oh, and don't return the shirt.  Burn it."  He added and then they all strode away to go and collect Diego and Kitty who'd been taken out earlier by Chihiro and Chaz.

            Haku watched Chihiro walk away and his eyes narrowed in anger when he saw Chaz slip his arm around her slender waist.  He didn't understand the closeness that Chihiro and the others felt with one another.  It was obvious that they were willing to get into one another's face but they didn't hold grudges and they were all comfortable with one another.  So much that they could be incredibly erotic on stage yet seem like a bunch of playful friends out of costume.  Not for the first time he wondered how much Chihiro had changed and how much of that change he'd caused.  If he'd only listened to her that fateful day when she'd returned would things have been different?

            _There's no point in wondering about the past._  He told himself sternly.  _What's done is done._  He added but as he looked at Sakura he knew that the feelings he once held for her were dead.  She was not meant to be the other part of his heart and soul.  He had changed after meeting Sakura.  He'd not been overly fond of humans before but Chihiro had changed that by showing him the kindness and purity of her heart.  He had honestly meant to see her again but then when Sakura had come things changed and he'd become like the other spirits who disliked humans on a general basis.

            But somehow, despite all logic, those six were changing the mindset of the spirits around the Aburaya.  They couldn't, or wouldn't, allow themselves be classified as normal humans.  The passion that they felt for life touched all of the spirits here in more ways than one.  It reminded the old ones of days long past in which man and spirit were once friends with one another and worked together.  Yet something about the human set Sakura off and they obviously felt the same way about her, if you didn't include Chihiro and Kitty, the obvious peacemakers of the group. 

            Despite all this there was only one that truly worried them out of the whole group.  The human Serena was more than what she seemed.  The simple fact that she was able to get the better of Yu-Baba and still live was the most obvious reason yet at times he was able to sense a strange power within her, a power that seemed to connect her to Chihiro.

            _But is she a threat?_  He wondered.  _And if so how do I take care of her?_

            "Where's Serena?"  Chihiro asked as she stepped into their room where the guys were setting up dinner.

            "She mumbled something about not being hungry and took off somewhere."  Diego replied and handed her a steaming bowl of stew.

            "Since when is Serena not hungry?"  Chihiro asked worriedly.  Ace walked over to her then and squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

            "She's alright, Chihiro."  He said reassuringly.  "She's just gotten into one of her moods again."

            "Oh… I forget about that."  Chihiro said thoughtfully and took a bite out of the hearty stew Diego had given her.  Every now and then Serena would leave and go off somewhere to be alone for a while.  She was never gone long but once when Chihiro had tried to find her Serena had ended up being the one to find her!

            "Ace, you've known Serena the longest, why does she just suddenly go off like this?"  Chihiro asked curiously.

            "I've been wanting to know the same thing."  Diego added.

            Ace looked at her thoughtfully for a few minutes and sat down in a chair across from her.  "I'm not really sure.  I think her mother was like that though."  He answered.

            "You mean you've never met her mother?"

            "Serena's mother died shortly after Serena was born.  According to the doctors she never should have lived through the childbirth; in any case, our mothers had been friends since they were both children and my mom always said that Serena's mother was wild."  He looked at his stew for a moment and added, "I think that's why she would always look at Serena so sadly sometimes.  It was like she was seeing her best friend instead of her friend's daughter."

            "But what did your mother mean by wild?"  Kitty wanted to know.

            "Untamable, unmanageable, a creature which refused to be restricted by the normal limitations set upon us by society."  He quoted his mother, remembering that he'd asked her the same question once.

            "Does Serena look like her mother?"  Chihiro asked.

            "A near carbon copy except for the eyes.  She's got the LaCroix eyes."  Ace answered.

            "Did that affect her training as a Guardian?"  Kitty wanted to know.

            "Oh yeah.  They didn't even want to train her at first.  They said that she was too wild and even at that young of an age Serena didn't let adults intimidate her, the other Guardians didn't know how to handle someone like her but the power and potential she held was too great to go untrained.  If she had no knowledge of her powers then she could have become a threat rather than an asset to humanity."

            "That sounds… so cold blooded."  Chihiro said sadly.

            "They don't play around that's for sure."  Ace agreed.

            Serena smiled to herself as she looked up at the stars.  She was lying quite comfortably on the roof and had heard everything her friends said.  She didn't mind them asking questions nor did she mind Ace giving them the answers.  She was just grateful that Ace knew enough to actually give the answers she wouldn't have known to tell.

            "Damn you Haku!  Why can't things be like they used to be!"  She heard Sakura's familiar screech coming from the other side of the Aburaya.

            _Well, well, well.  This just may be promising._  She though in wry amusement and silently stood and made her way across the roof of the Aburaya to the area she heard Sakura's yells.

            "Is it because of that _human_?!  Is that why things have changed between us?!"  Sakura yelled at Haku.

            "Sakura, I-"

            "No!  I won't let you leave me!"  She screamed.  Haku watched her silently, on the surface he seemed very calm but underneath stirred the rage and spirit of a dragon_.  How dare she try to tell him that he belonged to her! _ He wanted to growl but didn't.  He was Kohaku!  The spirit of the Kohaku River!  Just because his river had been filled in did not mean that his strength had become depleted.  His strength came from the source of the river that still flowed mightily in the Living World.

            "You're becoming hysterical."  He said calmly after she'd ranted for a full minute.

            Sakura looked at him through tear filled eyes and said, "you don't care for me at all do you?  I was just someone for you to amuse yourself with."  She added in a whisper.

            "You know that's not true."  Haku told her sternly.

            "Then why?"  She whispered in agony.

            "Because… I want to be with the one who is the other half of my heart and soul or not be with anyone at all."

            "Any you think that wretch of human filth is?!"  She demanded to know.

            "I don't know Sakura."  He answered honestly. "I only know that I'm tired of living in lies and half-truths."  He looked away then and said, "You should go now.

            For a long moment neither of them said anything and then with a scream of rage Sakura shouted, "I hate you!"  She then stormed out of his rooms to take her rage out of one of the workers.  After she left Haku let out a weary sigh and made his way out to the balcony to think and to be alone.

            "Quite the drama queen wouldn't you say?"  Asked Serena's familiar voice.

            "What do you want?"  He bit out without turning to look at her.

            "Happiness, peace, the strength and ability to protect those that I love and care about.  What about you?"  She replied, jumping off the roof to land gracefully on the balcony near where he was standing.  Haku looked at her for a moment, surprised at the answer she'd given him and looked back out at the open scenery.

            "I don't know."  He answered finally.

            "Well that helps."  Serena said dryly and leapt up unto the railing of the balcony and stared up at the stars.  She didn't really want to be here talking with him but she knew that she needed to be here for now.  "Why did you break it off with Sakura?"  She asked.

            "Because… being with her felt… wrong."  He answered finally.

            "So what feels right?"

            Haku glared at her out of the corner of his eye and looked away again.  "The fact that I still don't like you."

            To his utter surprise she started laughing like a lunatic and actually had to sit down to keep her balance.  When she finally calmed down and wiped the tears from her face she took a deep breath and grinned at him.  "It's good to know that you can be honest."  She said after a moment.

            "I tell you that I don't like you and you're happy."

            "Mmmhmm."  She replied.  "So what do you think about Chihiro?"  She asked curiously.

            "Why do you want to know?"

            "Because for some reason that is completely _beyond_ my very capable comprehension she is still in love with you."  She replied.

            "What?!"

            "I know, shocking isn't it?"  She asked and got a thoughtful look on her face.  "I mean the fact that she could love someone as cold-hearted, mean, and downright obnoxious as you and for as long as she has is truly mind boggling!  Not to mention the fact that you broke you're promise, called her a piece of filth, started dating another girl…" She drawled off for a moment and nodded.  "Yep, Chihiro is _defiantly_ messed up in the head."

            "Why do you tell me this?"  Haku asked softly.

            "I believe that love exits."  She answered seriously.  "And I think that you knew this all along, the only thing you needed was for someone to say it out loud and confirm it for you."  She answered and hopped off the rail and walked over to him.  "Here's the next question.  What are you going to do now that you know she loves you and that you, despite your not wanting, love her just as much?"  She asked quietly and very seriously.  She didn't stick around for his answer though.  Instead, she leapt back on the roof and disappeared as silently as she'd arrived.

            _Chihiro…do you really still love me?_  Haku asked silently wishing that she were here so that he could ask in person.

            Still up on the roof, Serena rolled her eyes and muttered a few choice words in French about blind dragon boys.

            Yet, on the other side of the Aburaya, Chihiro suddenly looked up and whispered one word so quietly that none of the others heard her.  She had whispered, 'yes…'

            "You know I've got a question."  Serena announced as she strolled through the doors and into the room.  Chihiro and the others all looked at each other and grinned at each other before returning their attention to Serena.  "When we eat is it like dinner or lunch or what?  I mean we keep crazy hours and stuff so what and when are we exactly eating what?"

            Chihiro stood up then and walked over to her friend and patted her on the shoulders in sympathy.  "Serena, I think you're starting to lose it."  

            Serena shook her head a bit and smiled sassily at her.  "Who ever said I had it to begin with?"  She asked in an innocent voice that made the others laugh.

            "Do you always think about things like that when you go off like that?"  Chaz asked teasingly.

            "Wouldn't you like to know."  She replied and mussed his hair affectionately and accepted a bowl of stew from him.  Chihiro shook her head at Serena but she smiled.  "Oh, that reminds me.  Haku and Sakura called it quits."  Serena said and took a bite out of her stew.

            "What?!"  Yelled everyone but Chihiro and Ace.  Chihiro studied Serena for a moment and had the feeling that Serena was waiting for her to say something.  A moment later Serena's green eyes locked on hers and she wasn't very surprised to see the intent yet patient look in Serena's eyes.

            "How do you know?"  She asked finally and Serena tapped her ear briefly.

            "Apparently, Sakura is very good at screeching.  In any case I overheard them and Haku was the one who really called it off."

            "Why?"

            "Well, He told Sakura that she wasn't his other half and that he was tired of living in lies and half-truths."  She looked at Chihiro again and tilted her head slightly and wasn't surprised to see Chihiro look away from her gaze.  **_I wonder why he chose those words? _** She said privately to Chihiro and managed to keep a grin off her face when Chihiro blushed.

            "I have no idea."  Chihiro answered and gave Serena an innocent laugh.

            "If you say so."  Serena returned and the two grinned at each other.

            "So… what does this mean?"  Chaz asked.

            "It means that love at first sight may actually exist after all."  Diego answered.

            "Ohh…"  Chaz drawled thoughtfully, causing the others to laugh.

            **I'm tired of fighting.**

**            So you're just going to give up?**

**            Yes, no, I don't know.**

**            Coward.**

**            What?!**

**            I said that you are a coward.**

**            How dare you?!**

**            Simple, only a coward will turn and run before the first blow.**

**            I'm not running.**

**            Oh?**

**            …**

**            What are you doing then?**

**            Waiting…**

**            Don't wait too long or you'll miss your life going by.**

Replies/Answers to Reviewers Comments/Questions:

            *looks at the chapter*  Ugh!  That was _a lot_ to write!  And not even one song.  Of course that also means I was able to get this chapter out sooner so I'm not complaining too much.  Okay, now on to the replies and stuff.

Mii-chan – For chapter four, I didn't really use any songs but the ones I made a reference to are In the Burning Heart from Rocky (a boxing movie) and Is it Written in the Stars? By Elton John.  In chapter 5, the 'Total Slaughter' song I used came from Trigun, the next song is Love is Pain by Amanda Perez, next is To the Moon and Back by Savage Garden, and I hinted at Understanding by Evanescence.  *looks at list*  Hey!  I listen to a lot of different types of music… Anyway, I hope this answered your question and thanks for reviewing!

^^ - I can really tell that you like Utada Hikaru!  I probably won't use any of her songs unless I find one in English and then only if I feel a pull to put it in the story (I hope that makes sense).  Thanks for your review!

Lonely Female Hanyou – Now normally I would agree with you on using a kiss to make Haku jealous but the guys all know Chihiro is still in love with Haku and they don't want to play with her feelings.  *laughs*  Feel her up maybe nut then the girls are pretty much used to that and it seems to be making Haku plenty jealous so far!  Thanks for your review!

iminyourmind – Zeniba and No Face's parts in this story aren't definite yet.  They may come in later but I'm not really quite sure yet.  _But_ I am fairly sure they'll show up once or twice or maybe three times before the end…  Thanks for reviewing!

Special thanks to animegirl-mika, because every author wants to write a story where the reader not only reads the story but 'lives' the story.  To Kairo of the Wood, because like me I'm guessing that you enjoy the theatre and your review made me look at this story in a different perspective (although my theatre director might disagree with you!).  And last but not least, Princess Sara, for setting me straight on Aida!

Well that's everything (I hope).  In any case, I hope everyone has enjoyed this chapter because it's quite possibly the longest I've written. *looks swirly eyed*  And now… I'm going to go play my playstation 2 for a little while…

Au revoir!


	7. Chapter 6: Return to the Living World

Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.**

Chapter 6:  Return to the Living World 

"Please?"

            "Nope."

            "Pretty please?"

            "No dice."

            "Pretty, pretty please?"

            "_Non_."

            Ace, Chaz, and Diego all looked at one another before refocusing their attention to the girls in front of them.  All three of them knew that if they were able to sway either Serena or Kitty then Chihiro would give in and they would be able to return to the Living World for a short time.

            "Come on Kitty!  We haven't seen our folks in over a year!"  Chaz whined and then got a scared look on his face.  "Uh, think they'll be mad we didn't get them anything for their birthdays or Christmas?"  
            "Not to mention you didn't even bother to tell them that you might be gone for so long."  Diego added sagely.

            Both Kitty and Chihiro were starting to look guilty and uncomfortable so Ace peaked at Serena through his bangs and found her watching him intently, a half smile on her face.  _Damn it!_  He wanted to whine.  _Does she **have** to be so observant?_  Serena winked at him then and looked back at the girls.

            "He's got a point _ma petites_.  Besides, I think we all need about a week off.  Spirit World is nice and everything but the only thing we're doing is entertaining the spirits here so it's like the only thing we're really doing is playing all the time."  The others nodded their agreement after thinking about what she'd said.  While they may not have been there in over a year they all had close ties to people in the Living World.

            "What about Yu-Baba?"  Chihiro asked.

            Serena grinned mischievously at them and leaned back in a casually arrogant posture.  "Well you know what they say about over-exposure.  Too much of something and you either get tired or sick of it."  She said, her eyes gleaming with laughter.

            "Serena, how do you come up with stuff like this?"  Kitty wanted to know.

            "Let's just say that I've had more experience in coming up with valid and honest excuses than most people do in their entire lifetimes."  She answered and rolled her eyes.  "But let's not forget the reason why we're here.  Chihiro, the final say will be up to you since you're the one who has the closest ties here."  She said gently.

            Chihiro was silent for a few minutes and when she looked back up she was smiling.  "I think we should go back to the Living World for awhile.  I do miss the fast pace and things to do there."  She admitted.

            "YES!"  Cried the three guys as they scrambled to go get their things ready.

            Chihiro, Serena, and Kitty all stared in shock at the now vanished guys and looked at each other.  They were silent for about two seconds before all three of them burst into laughter and got up to get their things together as well.

            "You want to what?!"  Yu-Baba screeched.

            "We would like to return to the Living World for a short time."  Chihiro repeated politely struggling not to laugh since Serena was currently ranting in mind speech about Yu-Baba's hearing and thought processing speed, etc. etc. with a completely straight face.

            Yu-Baba glared at her and then turned her shrewd gaze on Serena.  "Why aren't you yapping yet?!"  She growled.

            Serena raised one delicate eyebrow at her and said nothing.  If she'd had her way then they would have just left but Chihiro was more polite than she so here they were.  In any case, this was Chihiro's show so she was content to be the silent, brooding one.

            "Please Yu-Baba?"  Chihiro asked sweetly without begging.

            "And what do I get in return?"  Yu-Baba crooned.

            Serena's eyes narrowed when she saw Chihiro slightly falter.  Chihiro was driven by a sense of fair play, if you wanted something you had to give something in return; Serena didn't have any such convictions.  "How about we'll continue to make sure that the show is a good one instead of a complete failure?"  She suggested to Chihiro, the thinly veiled threat barely concealed and Yu-Baba saw through it immediately.

            "So that's how it is?  You're trying to blackmail me!"  Chihiro glanced over at Serena and they shared an identical look of mischief and grinned at Yu-Baba.

            "Of course not, Yu-Baba!  I'm just trying to say that the others might not be able to guarantee the quality of their performance if they're not given a chance to go home and see their families for a time."  Chihiro answered honestly.  She knew how bad the others wanted to go and she also knew that if they didn't get what they wanted well… let's just say there's a reason artistic types are known for their temperament.  

            For a few long moments Yu-Baba glared daggers at both of them just as Haku walked in.  Slowly, a smug smile formed on her face as she gestured for him to come closer and into the discussion.  "Fine.  You six may go but only as long as Haku goes with you?

            Haku, Chihiro, and Serena all looked at the woman in astonishment and Serena and Chihiro looked at each other a silent conversation relaying between their eyes.  _Why does she want him to come.  Not a clue, but this could be a good thing!  Serena!  I know…_

            "Why do you want Haku to come with us?"  Chihiro asked softly.

            "Don't worry about it!"  Yu-Baba snapped.  "You two may leave now!"

            "Thank you Yu-Baba."  Chihiro murmured and the two quietly made their way out of her office.

            "Why do you want me to go?"  Haku asked almost as soon as the girls had left.

            "I think it's best if you're not in the Aburaya for awhile.  At least not until Sakura settles down."

            "Are you worried about me Yu-Baba?"  Haku teased.

            "Hardly!"  She replied.  "I just don't want to upset my guests with a drama between past lovers."

The Living World 

            Chaz and Kitty immediately scrambled to find belated gifts for their family and headed home while the others headed to Serena's home.  Serena lived alone in the huge house that she had once lived in while her family lived in Japan.  For privacy, it had been built in the woods out of sight of all of the main roads.  Since it had been apparent that Serena was going to need training while they were there her father had a fairly large swimming pool put in, thankfully the water could also be heated in the wintertime.  Because the woods were private property there were small courses set up in which one had to be very nimble and quick if they didn't want to be bruised from all the traps set up.

            Yet there was a simple elegant beauty about the place.  There were lovely flower and rose garden scattered all over the property and in the middle stood the lovely three-story home.  A small pond was placed near the walkway so one could see large happy fish swimming contently in the water.  The scent of flowers and trees filled the air with a pleasing scent that was very soothing.

            "It still looks the same."  Chihiro murmured.

            "Mmmhmm."  Serena agreed with a smile and the others entered the house curiously.  Of all of them only Chihiro had been here before and they were curious to see the house that she lived in.  

            "You must be very wealthy to live in a home like this."  Haku noted as they took in all of the elegant things scattered throughout the house.  Serena didn't reply to this other than to shrug and motioned for them to look around.  Overall, the house had been decorated in light colors and soothing pastels to make it feel airy, homey, and welcoming.  Pictures were scattered throughout the house as were paintings.  The quality of the paintings seemed to differ though.  Some looked to have been done by professionals and others obviously had to have been done by children.

            "Do you still have a gym?"  Chihiro asked.

            "Of course."  Serena answered with a wink and led them through a door to the right, went through a short hallway, and slid open two sliding doors and waved them into the large gym there.  On the first floor there was the gym, a large kitchen, and a small formal dining area, and a medium sized living room.  Second floor was a large formal dining area, guest bedrooms, a music room, a game room, and a medium sized library.  The third floor had more bedrooms, an observatory, and another living room..

            "So where's the garage?"  Ace all but purred, causing Serena to grin back at him.

            "Oh no you two don't!"  Chihiro said firmly.  "You both promised no racing!"  She reminded them.

            Ace turned to her in a panic and instantly fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist and cried, "please Chihiro!  Think about all those lovely cars just begging to be know the loving touch of a driver and be driven to their limits!"  He added, grinning at her rakishly.

            Haku glared and the others grinned at each other as Chihiro began to blush until she was as red as a tomato.  "Pleeeease?"  Ace continued to beg, his arms all but squeezing the breath out of her.

            "Alright!"  Chihiro finally gave in.  Ace jumped up then, picked her up in his arms, swung her around, leaned down and planted a noisy kiss on her mouth and ran off to find the garage.

            "Why aren't you running after him?"  Chihiro asked Serena curiously.  With a grin Serena dug into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

            "He can't get in there without these."  She answered impishly.

            "You're vicious."  Diego complimented her and mused her hair much like an older brother would.

            "Just a little."  Serena answered playfully with a smile.  "Come on.  Let's go get something to eat."

            "Miss Serena and Miss Chihiro!  Oh!  My babies have come back!"  Cried a short black woman as she bustled out from in front of the stove and hurried towards them.

            "Mama Tessa!"  Both girls cried happily and a moment later they were both gasping for breath in a bone-crushing hug.

            "It's so good to see you again honey child."  Mama Tessa said to Chihiro and pinched her cheeks affectionately.  "But you!"  She cried, shaking her finger at Serena.  "You just disappear over a year and a half ago without one call or letter and think that you can just waltz right back in here?!"  She demanded.

            "Serena!"  Chihiro whispered hastily, trying to stop her from provoking Mama Tessa.  However, being back on her home turf must have encouraged her because Serena grinned mischievously at Mama Tessa and nodded.

            "Yup.  I do."  She said proudly.

            "Why you-"  But Mama Tessa didn't get to finish her threat or get a hold of Serena because the so-called 'mighty Guardian' shot off like lightning, yelping for someone called Pierre to help her, Mama Tessa hot on her heels.

            "Does she bring insanity wherever she goes?"  Haku asked.

            "That's Serena.  You can either accept her as she is and get over it or try to change her and have the world laugh at you for making a doomed attempt."  Diego said wryly as both he and Chihiro started going through things looking for something to eat.  Mama Tessa was one of the two cooks, the other being Pierre, and had Serena's family's chatelaine for as long as Chihiro could remember.  Besides being the true commander of the home, Mama Tessa was the only mother Serena had known since her own had died in childbirth.

            "Why do you say something like that Diego?"  Chihiro asked and pulled out a few buckets of ice cream, grabbed some bowl and spoons and passed them out.

            "That's right,"  Diego murmured and took a bite of his ice cream.  "You weren't there when some of those Elders showed up."

            "Huh?"  Chihiro asked, her eyes slightly narrowed in confusion.  Haku looked just as confused but he was interested as well.

            Diego sighed and shook his head.  "I wish Kitty or Serena were here, hell, even Ace could explain this better than me."

            "Well try, please Diego?"  Chihiro asked, worried now for her friend.

            "Well you know what Ace told you a few nights ago and all but the truth is that the other Guardians are kinda intimidated by her."

            "Why?"

            "She doesn't fit into their world.  First of all, she swore to protect you without seeking their approval and when she told them that she was leaving the Living World to go to the Spirit World they nearly had a heart attack."  He shook his head then and frowned.  "Those guys are creepy in their own right, you could feel the power rolling of them but she just stood there and sneered at them all.  Serena all but dared them to try and stop her but I think they knew that they wouldn't be able to.  She made a promise to keep and come hell or Elders she was ready to take them all on to keep that promise."  He grinned and winked at Chihiro.  "Sure wish I had a sister like that!"

            "Why aren't these Elders able to control her?"  Haku asked.

            "It's because of the powers she inherited from her mother.  They're different than those of a Guardian but just as powerful in their own right."  Ace said as he strolled into the room, took Chihiro's spoon from her and began to eat her ice cream.

            "Hey!"  She cried and whacked him upside the head and took her snack back.

            "So what were her mother's powers?"  Haku asked, his eyes narrowing at the playful fight between Chihiro and Ace.

            "My mother never said and neither has Serena.  The subject's touch with her so I wouldn't suggest that _you_ walk up and ask her.  Chihiro could or any of us maybe, but that's because she trusts us.  And it's because of that trust that I've never asked; it doesn't bring me any joy to hurt those I care about."  He added, sending a barely veiled barb at Haku.

            "_Sacre bleu_!  It's you!"  They heard a man cry out, his French accent far thicker than Serena's as he pointed at Ace in horror.  "_Non_!  He cannot be here!"  He wailed throwing his hands up in the air like a wild man, or a very irritated French cook.

            "Miss me, Pierre?"  Ace practically purred, remembering all the times he'd cause trouble in the man's kitchen.

            "Don't worry Pierre.  I'll protect you from the big, bad American."  Serena said teasingly and winked at her friends.

            "What you have against Americans, Missy?"  Mama Tessa demanded to know.

            Serena shrugged and her eyes landed on Diego impishly but her eyes were very sorrowful when she looked back at the irritated black woman.  "Oh, just that they look better than all of the European guys."  She sighed dramatically and plopped down next to Diego and stole the ice cream off the spoon that he was still holding in the air as he stared at her in shock.

            "That's not true!"  He finally yelled, causing everyone else in the kitchen to laugh.

            "Don't worry so much, Diego.  It's good to play around _oui_?"  She said with a smile and kissed his cheek.

            "That's right."  Pierre agreed for him.  "Now then.  How would you all like to try one of my famous masterpieces?"

            Diego, Ace, Chihiro, and Serena all exchanged glances with one another and answered, "_Oui_!" in such excited and brutal accents that the Frenchman frowned at them but got to work just the same.

            They were going dancing, well clubbing to be technical, but like the others from the Living World, Chihiro had wanted to just dance for the fun of it and not have to worry about keeping a crowd entertained with carefully planned out dances steps and moves.  Chihiro was wearing a white leather mini skirt and a sparkly blue tank top.  Both set off her skin tone and complexion wonderfully.  Her hair had been pulled all the way up except for a few streamers around her face to soften the look.  She'd kept her makeup light and natural looking.

            She looked over at Serena then and had to hide a grin.  Serena had gone for the 'bad girl' look and pulled it off quite well.  She had on a fitted pair of very low black leather pants and a shimmery ruby red halter-top that exposed her stomach.  She'd left her hair down but had braided small sections of it.  Like Chihiro, she'd put on very little makeup but what she did was focused on her eyes.  Using black eye liner and mascara she'd made her eyes seem brighter than normal but had used an icy shade of red to do her eyelids.  Before they'd left she'd practically begged Chihiro to let Serena do her up but Chihiro, while liking the look on Serena, decided to not be quite as 'dark' as her friend for tonight.  Regardless, both girls looked stunning.

            "Did you ever think that we would end up like this right now?"  Chihiro asked Serena quietly as the fair-haired girl parked the car.

            For a long moment Serena was quiet as she considered Chihiro's question.  "No."  She answered honestly and smiled.  "But it's better than anything I could have, even though we all have gone through heart ache to get here."  Chihiro was silent for a few moments as she thought about what Serena said and she nodded.

            "I guess you're right."

            "Of course!  I'm always right."  Serena said smugly, and the two girls laughed as they climbed out of the car and headed into the club.  _Almost always anyway…_

            When Ace showed up with Diego and Haku, both Serena and Chihiro were already at a table and stared at Haku in surprise.  "Well, well, well.  The pair of you did a good job."  Serena said and took a sip of her drink and looked at the blushing Chihiro from the corner of her eye.  "So what took you guys so long?"  She asked with a pleased grin.

            "Haku here though the clothes were too tight until we dragged out a wetsuit that belonged to Chaz and put him in it. He settled down after that."  Diego answered.

            "Ouch.  Harsh."  Serena said with a sympathetic wince.

            "Yep.  Which is why Chihiro gets the pleasure of teaching him how to dance."  Ace said as he pulled Serena up from the booth and into his arms.

            "Huh?"  Chihiro asked in surprise but Ace just grinned at her and winked.

            "See you two later.  I see a few lonely ladies over there who look as though they require my _riveted_ attention."  Diego said and sauntered off.

            Chihiro looked up at Chihiro then and bit her bottom lip a bit nervously.  Haku was wearing a pair of comfortable dark blue jeans and a white dress shirt_.  Probably either Diego's or Chaz's, Ace is too tall and too broad in the shoulders for Haku to fit into his clothes._  She thought to herself.  _But he looks great._  She admitted.  "So,"  she began and stood up.  "Are you ready to learn a little of what we do on stage?"  She asked with a smile.

            "Sure."  He answered and smiled back at her.

            "Heads up."  Serena said with a grin as she nodded her head towards Chihiro and Haku.  "They look so cute together."  She added with a grin.

            "You're supposed to be paying attention to me."  Ace mock pouted but he looked over and saw Chihiro helping Haku gets used to the rhythm and moves that the music called for.

            "I am paying attention."  She replied with an impish gleam in her eyes.  "I'm just keeping an eye out for something better."

            "Oh really?"

            "Uh huh."

            "Well, tough luck for you then."  He said and slid his hands down from her waist and over her rear, grinning the whole while.  "I'm not letting go quite yet."

            Serena laughed and tossed her hair back.  "Oh?  Think you can handle me?"  She asked teasingly.

            "Maybe."  He teased and pulled on her hair lightly.  "I think the question here is if you can handle _me_."  He added, the double meaning of his words crystal clear.

            She rolled her eyes and said, "You're so easy."

            Ace grinned back at her and lightly nipped at her ear lobe.  "Now see.  You've got it all wrong.  I'm free."  He corrected, causing her to burst into laughter.

            "Your friends look like they're enjoying themselves."  Haku said a bit testily as he tried to get over the closeness that this type of dancing called for.  Not that he really minded since he was nearly able to feel every part of Chihiro's body but this wasn't a natural thing for him to do, especially not in public.

            "Yep."  Chihiro answered with a grin.  "No like this."  She corrected and rolled her hips against his.  "Move _with _me."  She scolded and looked up at him and was surprised to see the faint blush that tinged his cheeks.  It was then that she remembered that he was very probably not used to having a girl rub up against him while dancing.  "Just relax."  She said and on impulse kissed his cheek.  "Just feel the music's rhythm and move to it."  She said.

            It was an excellent way to spend the rest of their night as they all flirted harmlessly and pretty much enjoyed themselves.  When they got too hot and needed to cool down they retreated to their booth, ordered a couple of bottles of water, and cooled off.  Because it was so crowded and there were so many people there none of them saw the malicious eyes that watched them all.  Even Serena, with her Guardian senses, didn't feel the heated flames of evil and madness that glowed from those eyes like the very promise of hell.  The calm before the storm, but the storm wasn't quite yet ready to break.  A few more things needed to be put into their proper places before it could all begin…

**Is it time yet?**

**Not quite.  Are you afraid?**

**Yes…**

**Why?**

**Because there aren't any guarantee's for a tomorrow.**

**So you're afraid of death then?**

**No.  Just… the unknown.**

**            I see.  But wasn't he entire world once unknown?**

**            Yes.**

**            Then why not step beyond what you know and into what you do not.**

**            I don't know how.**

**            It's simple.  Just step through the door…**

Author's Note:  Sorry it took so long to get this out but I thought I lost this chapter because I couldn't pull it up so I was retyping it and then I tried again to pull it up and here it was!  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  Well I hope everyone enjoys!


	8. Author's Note Sorry everyone!

**Author's Note**

Hey everyone!  I'm sorry that this isn't an update for the story but it is a fairly important author's note.  I'm going to South Dakota for a little while (and all the states in between) so it will probably sometime next month before I can up-date.  But don't worry!  I live in Louisiana so that's a lot of miles to "write" out the next few chapters using paper and a pencil.  I'm really sorry for this but I hope you'll all be patient until I get back.

Au revoir!

Betrayed Wolf

P.S.  If there is anywhere that we stop long enough that I'll be able to update then I promise that I will.  *frowns*  Shouldn't be too hard to find a computer right…?  Well maybe but hey, there's silver lining somewhere in this picture!  I think…


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